


Set The Fire To The Third Bar

by Danganphobia



Series: Lucky Charm [1]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Baker Lio, Childhood Friends, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff, Football Player Gueira (Promare), Hijinks & Shenanigans, Implied Sexual Content, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Musician Meis (Promare), Partying, Post-Canon, Pretending to be Friends, Reunions, Romantic Comedy, Team as Family, Ten Years Later, Time Skips, excessive use of fun snaps, gueira and meis be like that meme with the kid scratchin his head like idk I Kinda Don't Think, is that an actual trope, looks at gueira and meis: these bad boys can fit so much headcanons in them, lowkey tho theyre just bad at it, yeah im still gonna make this possible fuck the logistics let my boys live their dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:28:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22827940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danganphobia/pseuds/Danganphobia
Summary: Gueira and Meis have spent their whole lives together, from the moment they were children and watching each other grow through Hell and back. Now, the Promare is gone. A new chapter of their lives begin, Gueira receiving the opportunity to live his dream playing football, while Meis is debating on chasing after his own on making music again.The question is if they could handle the hardest part of it all: distance.(Or, Gueira and Meis begin to date and try to keep it a secret until Gueira let a comment during a press conference slip out and things get complicated from there.)
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Lucky Charm [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651696
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52
Collections: Galotines day 2020





	Set The Fire To The Third Bar

**Author's Note:**

> this is a gift for @InvaderBekk for the galotines day event!!! im your galotine. i hope u enjoy this as much as i enjoy writing this. i haven't written post-canon in a while so it was a challenge to get into the groove of it... but i saw the opportunity to write gueimeis and i couldn't pass that up!!! i got carried away, as u can see.
> 
> title is based off the song set the fire to the third bar by snow patrol.....if u know which movie this is from shutup i know. i guess it was loosely inspired by dear john but mainly the song is what i knew was perfect for this title.
> 
> I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LISTEN TO THE SONGS WHILE YOU READ, BC I LINK THE WORD "SONG" IN BOLD FOR A REASON. IF YOU CANT, WELL, THATS FINE, BUT ITS BETTER VISUALIZATION AND ITS LIKE SUPER IMPORTANT TO THE STORY. do as u will.
> 
> ♡ = Flashback  
> ☆☆☆ = Present

No one could really say for _sure_ how it fell into place. Galo decided that they should all crash his and Lio's small apartment to cram against each other and watch Gueira be on TV for the first time. 

Ten years ago they weren't even _remotely_ this far. After the Promare had left they spent a good chunk of their lives on the restoration of Promepolis— their firefighting duties continued after Mad Burnish technically _disbanded_ and joined Burning Rescue, called it a truce and joined ties. 

Then Meis wasn't sure where everything just… naturally fell back into place. Promepolis going back to normal save for the occasional protest in the media over Foresight being locked up and anti-Burnish propaganda bullshit— citizens were gradually falling back to a calmer time where they returned to their jobs every morning. Headed off to school. Went out to hang out with friends or family, attending local events, some of which the city arranged in celebration of a successful restoration of the city. Were ex-Burnish to be fully accepted was a question left unanswered, despite how parts of the community strived that they feel welcomed along with the rest citizens and that's exactly what Burning Rescue entrusted themselves to do. 

Then everyone started thinking more about their lives and what they wanted to do with their future. Lio, who had been the leader of Mad Burnish for several years decided _fuck it_ and that he was going to open his own bakery. He didn't exactly have the best of luck with jobs— years ago since joining Burning Rescue he tried to pick up little ones here and there while focusing on rehabilitation of former Burnish and Galo'd have to bet with them how long it'd take before he got fired, sometimes it took a week, and sometimes it took two days. 

He figured if jobs can't handle a former arsonist of a terrorist group then he's going to fucking employ himself and open a shop. He asked Meis and Gueira to help him figure out how he should go about with that— because it'd take a while to _build_ a bakery from scratch. Luckily Lio had found an abandoned store building somewhere in the city one day and excitedly called them over to present his bakery in the making. 

_Detroit's Bakery_ was what he wanted to call it, not only to preserve the memory of his old town but what was left of the Promare he wanted to keep as part of his identity. It was a good idea. The hardest part was getting everything started, wiping the dust out of the place and kicking away old furniture that would need to be replaced. 

Somehow, like becoming a _leader_ he managed to do it. 

Galo, on the other hand— hadn't let go of firefighting since after the Promare left. He's been a veteran before and until now going strong. Meis knew that his heart would be with that along with Ignis and Varys and he couldn't bear to detach from that like the rest of them slowly were. While firemen weren't as needed there's sparks arsonist activity coming from former Burnish still adamant of reminiscing their old lives although that wasn't the way to go about— and every now and then a family has a fire accidentally break out and those working directly under the new government to provide aid were needed more than ever. People were unemployed more than having jobs that they needed to go back to school for and understaffing clear within several years. 

Meanwhile, Remi willingly showed Meis the ropes in paramedics for aiding the injured and the ill in ailing health. Lucia wanted to move forward in making her own mech inventions helpful to Burning Rescue and several firehouse battalions in the city. Becoming involved with the government to discuss over her ideas with teams of scientists. Lastly, Aina working to pilot around the city rationing for the parts of Promepolis living in poverty. Sometimes she had left Promepolis for this given that this was a widespread pandemic of former Burnish and the non-Burnish suffering the devastation of the aftermath. 

He expected Gueira to probably stick around Burning Rescue, if not, settle down with Lio and his shop in the making. 

He suggested wanting to try out for the NFL again and give it another shot knowing that sports all around the city were up and running. Entertainment was bustling in the media daily, something new every second of the day. People are itching to get into things they enjoyed prior to the Great World Blaze, and while they haven't left the city's greatest aspects were put on pause for the sake of rebuilding it. For the years they've known each other, one thing they promised on was that they'd support each other no matter what. Through Hell and back, through thick and thin.

Those hopes were left to rot after going Burnish, and it felt like dreams of a utopia to live vicariously through turned to complete ruin and shattered right then. Thanks to Galo and Lio, it hadn't remained that way for the next ten years. 

Ten years. 

Gueira got drafted three years prior. Bursting into Burning Rescue to pridefully announce that tryouts when amazingly well and that he got drafted by a fucking surprise for their Miami Dolphins team he's been aiming to land a spot on since he was a kid. 

He wasn't going to sit there and lie about handling the hardest part after that: distance. When the two of them were always together since their youth, having to let go of the hand that held on so tightly to his own and watch him break free to follow his dreams, made it hard to breathe.

♡

_"So I'm leaving tomorrow." They're taking a walk down Promepolis' streets late night. It was Gueira's idea that they go out. Spend an entire day together._

_Only it felt harder to breathe because their apartment will feel cold and empty after Gueira leaves._

_"You don't sound very excited." Meis isn't looking him in the eye. Keeping his voice flat. He could feel Gueira's eyes boring into him. His gaze lingering for the hours they've been out here but Meis pretended to pay no mind. As long as they've been keeping a distance with their friendship for years._

_"I'm fucking nervous." Gueira confessed. "Think about it. You ever heard of an ex-Burnish joining the NFL in how many years now? I seen the uproar around that kinda shit."_

_Of course people would be livid about having former Burnish play for their teams. They don't understand former Burnish are everywhere. Even those who were on the team before becoming Burnish returned to play for more seasons and there was controversy over this being unethical that the sports industry are willing to overlook aspects of profiling history for potential players to draft._

_Gueira didn't finish school and neither did Meis. Though he wanted to go back with Meis and Lio to finish two years at one of their community colleges since Burning Rescue had the credentials for finishing school ever since before the arson outbreaks occurred. Burnish were unfortunate to lose their chances at education let alone do what they truly desired because they had to go into hiding._

_"We have to co-exist eventually." Meis said. "Kray isn't in power anymore nor is the Freeze Force. Because the laws were rendered null people are saying it's unfit to keep former Burnish in society where most of them are just innocent people who bear the same genes as we did."_

_"And we were the generals of Mad Burnish once." Gueira reminded him. "So imagine people tripping over one of the assholes landing themselves a sports career." He scoffed._

_"You didn't cheat your way through." Meis said earnestly. His voice dropping an octave. "You had an opportunity and you took it."_

_Gueira's walking slowed._

_"You used to spend years bragging about this happening and I used to think it was possible." Then it became impossible. Meis kept his pace ahead though. "And now you're finally leaving tomorrow. I'll be seeing you on television. So it'll feel like you're here and you haven't left."_

_"Meis."_

_Meis halted in his step._

_"I'm scared." Gueira confessed. Footsteps approach and stop behind Meis. "Because I don't want to leave you."_

_Meis felt like he's been set aflame without the Promare. "Gueira." He whispered, stunned. Hands grab his waist and turn him around, kissing him softly. Stilling the trembling that he felt on his cooling skin, Gueira, however, he's searing._

_They stopped by a monument in front of central park in the heart of Promepolis. Where there's towering trees and pathways that lead to vast acres of garden, the towering buildings made the night skies sparkle and full of life. Compared to how full of gloom it used to be before where people feared to live this free. Normally there'd be an arsonist attack to make sure of that._

_Maybe they were responsible for a few. It was done within reason, though._

_Their first kiss was in the very area where Mad Burnish had been planning their attacks accordingly in the demolished and refurbished Promepolis Pharmaceutical Buildings._

_If it weren't for Lio they wouldn't be able to visit those whose lives passed in the cemetery so they could properly mourn Thyma and have her ashes settle where it should belong, resting in solitude._

_Gueira parted from his lips, a form of regret flickering in his eyes. "Meis— I'm so sorry."_

_"Don't talk." Meis implored, grabbing his cheeks and sealing their lips together fiercely._

_Gueira held him so tightly he could feel Gueira trembling too. He was truly terrified. They both were, afraid to be leaving each other tomorrow._

  
  


_They decided it was best if they didn't tell anyone about this, that meant Burning Rescue. Even though they caught sight of what was going on between them no one wanted to assume they weren't aware of that, Lio can observe they definitely were._

_It's the resistance of crossing a line of so much tenderness in a bond built, the love there was strong_ — _they didn't_ need _to physically convey that to show the history that lies beneath their closeness, matching tattoos, their ability to be inseparable. Maybe behind the scenes they could be a little selfish._

_That's why they don't have to communicate much when it's time to leave, Gueira parting with everyone in tearful goodbyes, Meis was the last one to hug him tightly. Two luggages by Gueira's feet._

_"So I guess cause of that kiss we're a thing now?" Gueira's laugh sounded more like a sob and Meis returned that sentiment._

_"You're leaving for four months and that's the first thing you come up with?"_

_They know they can't proudly claim that yet._

_They knew they should keep this a secret._

_"I can't help but be excited to have you." Gueira buried his head in Meis's shoulder. "I'll come back for you guys."_

_"If you don't you're a deadman." Meis threatened. Gueira laughed, the tears escaping their eyes clear when they break apart._

_"Send me letters, I don't care if it's old-fashioned. If you're too busy to text I want us to stay close even if we're apart." Meis told him._

_"I know you love old-fashioned." Gueira promised, "I will. I'll send so many of them until you get annoyed of me. Even if I'm across the fuckin' country we're never gonna be apart. We're the coolest, okay?!"_

_"I won't get annoyed of you." Meis laughed wetly._

_“You’re gonna make me start bawlin’ my eyes out at this fuckin’ airport?” Gueira wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his letterman, “I was supposed to look cool!”_

_Meis couldn’t help but laugh more as the tears started to escape, after holding them in for so long._

_“You are cool.” He admitted. Normally, he’d say something flat that Gueira was the opposite of_ cool _but look at him. He’s about to play for a national sports league and he was the first to reach his dreams. He deserved all the acclamation to restore years worth lost confidence in a once ruined world filled with anarchy, casualty, and desolation. “You’re gonna be a damn celebrity now. I think that’s pretty fucking cool, Gueira.”_

_Gueira’s eyes may have sparkled brighter than the sun beaming down on them._

☆☆☆

“Quick, quick!” They burst into Galo’s apartment in a disaster fashion— matter of fact, Ignis and Varys are still running late. Remi and Lucia are on their way there. It’s just Galo, Aina, and Meis. They don’t show up until it’s two minutes before the game, Galo not even bothering to unlock the door.

This was Galo and Lio’s apartment and yet Meis was the first to bolt for the couch and leap over it, landing on the couch to scramble for the remote.

“Galo where’s the fucking remote?” He asked in a tizzy. The adrenaline rush from the excitement and unease made him tremble in anticipation. 

“Uh…” Galo didn’t look like he remembered, tossing his keys across the house and shucking his jacket off. Lio having to catch it when he threw that too to hang up next to his own. “Fuck. I don’t remember, babe, where’d we put the fuckin’ remote?”

“What do you mean? Shouldn’t it be on the table?” Lio asked. Meis checked, pushing off some of the other cups, paperwork, and decor off the table.

“It’s not here.” 

“Did you lose the remote again?” Aina asked.

“I don’t remember where I put it, I got home late last night and watched a little bit of TV and left it somewhere around there.”

They’re frantically searching the couches for the remote, then scoping the living room. The others come rushing in and Meis was panicking since it’s past six thirty now. Luckily, Ignis was the one who found it beneath the couch cushion. Galo being reprimanded for losing the remote for the billionth time, close to destroying their apartment after hours were poured into turning it into an orderly fashion and not disarray.

The games that Gueira partook in meant that their apartment was going to be destroyed anyway. As much as Lio’s threats not to break anything were a strong reminder none of them bothered to listen. Meis had practically snatched the remote from Ignis with a quick thanks, and they’re making themselves comfortable on the couches, the six of them, though they don’t fit Galo had to sit on the edge of the couch and so did Varys. Ignis got the main seat, Aina, Lucia, and Meis squeezed themselves on the couch while the television turned on.

Lucia snapped her fingers at him, Vinny crawling up her arm to hop on her shoulder, wanting to watch the game too. “Order the pizza.” She told Galo, who quickly pulled his phone out to start dialing the local pizza place.

They’re announcing the game starting, though what really got the jitters going was the teams said to be playing against each other. All the players on the field wearing a familiar turquoise and white uniform, the white jersey’s mixed with blue from the shoulders down and the pants completely blue in color. 

“Where the fuck is he?” Lucia asked, “I can’t see!”

“Is it that guy?” Varys pointed at the screen, the camera closed in on him and that was definitely not Gueira.

“No.” Ignis responded. They groan in annoyance.

“We don’t care about any of these people.” Lucia grumbled, “We wanna see Gueira!”

“I think he’s there.” Meis garnered their attention, even at the slightest glimpse of him his heart started to race.

“AH!” Aina shouted, the camera finally panned in on him and the rest of them started to shout eagerly for his appearance. He’s seen Gueira down on that field a couple times now— nothing could compare to his erratic heartbeat knowing that he’ll be there playing this very match. None of the other team players he could pay attention to, only Gueira. Ray, the pizza delivery man came to the house half an hour later, arm and a leg in prosthetics, and they thank him.

He could play pretty damn good at that, too.

Sometimes people think that athletes always had to be about physically being in the shape to fit expectations society brought about— and that pressure was overlooking the real reason for what it took to be a part of a sports league. It’s not just strength. It’s the speed that Gueira had which was why he fit the wide receiver’s position perfectly, no matter how far he was from the rest of the team he was an ideal player— a key player that was an important part to getting them to score. Each team on the field had their own responsibilities and what matters most was cooperation.

It’s how effectively they work as one and that’s what makes them cheer loud enough to anger their neighbors at every touchdown, a successful pass that Gueira catches and bolts through that field leaving his opponents in the dust. This was definitely meant for him— this _was_ who he was and Meis couldn’t be any prouder. By no means were they invincible, every now and then he suffers a loss or two, devastation shared between Burning Rescue and Gueira’s team— but no success without a sense of teamwork and the belief, the support, that whether they win or lose meant they put up a great fight.

So when they won, the relief washed over Meis that Gueira hadn’t given up, because even when he lost he refused to. He’s just restless that he couldn’t hug him until he came back after their season was over, Lio wrapped his arms around him for a tight hug with a bright smile on his face and his thoughts of missing Gueira are replaced with mirth, just for a little bit. Galo cheered so violently that he knocked over their fresh box of pizzas after it had arrived and they’re shouting his name and admonishing him, Lio nagging at him and it made him laugh for the first time in a couple days.

He usually tended to become anxious when it was nearing Gueira’s games, while his friends are happy to see him play everytime he just felt on edge for reasons he can’t describe, even if there _was_ nothing to be nervous about other than him being hurt. Now he can feel a sense of relaxation. 

“Holy shit that was an awesome game.” Varys commented.

“Right?!” Galo’s bouncing on the couch that Lio had to balance himself from falling over, holding onto Galo while the two of them were rambling, Lucia included, about the game and the parts they found engaging. Remi, Aina, Lio, Ignis, and Meis were mostly listening— after all Varys and Galo were really the sports fanatics and could really understand what the fuck was going on. Gueira’s been rambling to Meis about football since they were eight and he doesn’t have a fucking clue the differences between defense and offense, and he had to be reminded about it all over again whenever they meet.

There happened to be a conference going on between Gueira’s team about an upcoming match being broadcasted. His friend is in a crisp black suit while Gueira rolled in with Heely's on and was wearing a fucking _Twenty One Pilots_ t-shirt, and a snapback, with a single lanyard around his wrist.

Meis wanted to strangle him. Every press conference fashion protocol got chucked out the fucking window. So many athletes would show up to conferences from in their pajamas to full on cosplay, they just didn't care. Yet if Gueira wore golden cleats to play he would get told he can't walk on the field with fashionable cleats. He knew Gueira hated suits with a burning passion but he could do better than band tees. Put a suit jacket over it!

Lucia thought it would be a funny idea to spam him with text messages while he’s sincerely speaking to the press about the public’s perspective on former Burnish playing for sports leagues and how passionate he was to be a part of one, despite being Burnish himself at one point (Meis just thought the public liked to stick their noses in where they shouldn’t considering this wasn’t the first time people have angrily brought this up) and certain points during the conference he’d have to look down at his phone briefly. Aina’s telling Lucia to stop while Varys and Galo are cackling, coaxing her to send him memes. Lio rolled his eyes. The gang having his phone number was definitely the worst idea since they’d use this as an opportunity to fuck with him.

“Gueira, is everything alright?” The interviewer asked, one of his teammates, and good friends— his name’s Robertos, though Gueira called him Robbie— nudged Gueira on the shoulder for him to focus. He let out an unceremonious snort and quickly looked up from his phone.

“Ah, yeah. What was the question?” He asked, clearing his throat. The interviewer all but graciously repeated the question. This idiot was sitting there in his team letterman and snorting at memes his friends are sending him on live television.

“What are y’all sending him?” Meis asked, wanting to know anyway. He’s answering questions about the recent match now, Lucia and Galo keep on snickering, pulling up a photo of what looked like a crab, or a spider, he can’t tell— it’s just saying _silence, brand_.

Lio smacked Galo on the head. “Are you a fool?” He asked hotly.

“Ow!”

“At least show me the pictures before you send them.”

“What does that mean?” Ignis asked. 

Aina’s too busy laughing to explain at Ignis’s genuine confusion. Remi’s shaking his head while they showed the photo they sent to Gueira to him. Varys had no idea either, he just thought the photos looked so stupid it was hilarious. Gueira’s phone must’ve vibrated because he tripped over his sentence and his eyes flicker back to his lap, covering it with a cough. His friend’s snickering at him, this time Gueira punched him in the side under the table. Making sure to smirk at the camera’s clicking and flashing taking good photos of him and answering the question with ease.

This man likes attention so much it made Meis want to jump through the television and make out with him. Or at least pull him through the screen, he was allowed to do that— except, they couldn’t. For numerous reasons. He’s practically under the radar for the faces Promepolis’ sports industry. Ten years past, he’s still cocky, still reckless, still the man that he’s loved for over twenty years now, possibly even more. Yet he’s had countless slip-ups in front of the press due to foolishness that’s happening right now.

“I got somethin’ else to ask him.” Lucia’s grinning, texting him something so quickly that Meis didn’t catch after it hit send, but the rest of them saw it. Aina smacking her on the arm, and she, Galo, and Lio send Meis a quick glance before they were able to stop her.

“Why would you send that?!” She shrieked. 

“It’s just a joke.” Lucia defended, “Hey, it ain’t like he’s gonna answer it anyway.”

“Answer what?” Meis’s too focused on tracing the features of Gueira’s face he couldn’t touch to pay too much attention to the text message.

“Um.” Lio appeared bashful. Galo scratched the back of his head. 

Meis stared at them. “What?”

Gueira stared at his friend while he was being questioned by the interviewer now, shamelessly checking his phone while trying to be discreet with it during the conference. Robbie noticed Gueira showing him his phone, looking down.

Robbie murmured something in Gueira’s ear, which sounded like a question. However, Gueira, not moving away from the fucking microphone went ahead and answered, in front of hundreds of people, “They’ve got a pretty fat ass, and that’s not the only hot thing about ‘em. Trust me.”

The interviewer froze, and Robbie snorted loudly. Taking a split second for Gueira to realize that he said that out loud. The cameras are wildly flashing on them now.

“I’m sorry?” The woman asked. 

“Who’s he talking about?” Someone else asked in the background. 

“Um.” Gueira went bug-eyed at the press. “That was nothin’. So we were talkin’ about plans for the next season?” He changed the subject.

The living room went solid. Everyone slowly looked at Meis, as if there was something that they were missing.

“What?” Meis asked, shifting in discomfort. “Did Lucia send him another meme again?”

“...I asked him to ask the interviewer lady if she knows what poggers is…” Lucia said quietly, like she wasn’t sure if it was the right time to speak.

“Ask her _what_?” Ignis questioned, like thinking through all these references they blurt out at work doesn’t make him slowly lose brain cells.

“Okay?” Meis nodded, motioning for someone to tell him something. Anything. “And you’re all lookin’ at me funny because?” 

“He just said someone has a fat ass.” Varys blurted out. Remi sighed heavily. Well, that was glaringly obvious. It’s pretty clear that Robbie and Gueira were talking about _somebody_ and he might have been talking to his friend about _him_.

If he did, he just started a riot that he had no idea he created. Meis was going to kill him when he came back.

“So?” Meis continued to play dumb, because them finding out him and Gueira were actually dating was a problem for two reasons: one, the press didn’t know how to mind their business, and two, they decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to come clean about their relationship because the _press_ still had mixed perspectives about former Burnish and their relationships they had with non-Burnish or other former Burnish. It’d just be too much of a hassle, and they agreed that after Gueira left for the first time that it wasn’t a good idea to blurt out to the others about this.

So they were supposed to keep it a secret. 

Except, Gueira didn’t know how to keep secrets, and Meis was this close to murdering him with his bare hands if he didn’t keep his mouth shut.

Exhibit A— blurting out compliments about Meis’s ass during serious fucking press conferences. 

“Did you know about this?” Lio asked.

“...Know about what?”

“Uh.” Galo awkwardly pointed at the television. “Um. That.”

“Gueira’s dating somebody?” Aina asked the question, and he knew this was coming— he knew Gueira was going to fuck up this badly and end up doing _something_ to get the press speculating, to get the public on their toes— and it’s over something he did by _accident._

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ _kiddin’ me_.” His accent bled through his vexation but he made sure the others don’t catch it. He returned their concerned gazes, “You know,” He played it cool, because he’s good at nonchalance, “I’m just now hearin’ about this myself.”

Lio spluttered. “What—” 

“Yeah.”

“How do we know he’s just not making a comment about somebody?” Remi asked, “He just… said a compliment?”

“Rems, you have a girlfriend yourself who ain’t even fuckin’ human.” Lucia reminded him. “Now if I asked you if she had a fat ass compared to me askin’ you if a random stranger had a fat ass, would you bother to answer the latter?”

“—I—” Remi pushed up his glasses furiously, “I’d answer _neither_ —”

“—Bullshit!” Lucia shouted, “You’d fuckin’ answer to your girlfriend because she’s your girlfriend.”

“Can alligators have a fat ass, though?” Galo asked, and even though they were all thinking it in varying degrees no one actually said anything. 

“I thought we were talkin’ about the possibility of Gueira having a girlfriend.” Varys averted the topic. 

“Wait, it’s a girlfriend?”

“We still don’t know.” Lio said, hushed. Meis doesn’t understand why they’re treading this topic lightly when the damage had already been done. 

“So he’s dating somebody.” He laughed out loud— figuring he’d have to make this shit he’s gotten into involuntarily as believable as possible. “So what?”

They’re making noises as if they’re trying to say something but it fell flat, hilariously— looking at each other like they’ve lost the words to say and were waiting for someone to speak up, say something.

“...I’m mad he didn’t ask the interviewer about poggers.” Lucia mumbled at some point. They all stare at her, awkwardly drifting their gaze back to the television or elsewhere.

“I’m gonna go, uh, throw these out.” Galo whispered, leaving the couch to lift up the boxes and grab a plastic bag to dispose of the empty pizza boxes. 

“What does that mean?” Ignis asked. Aina and Lucia take the time to explain the meaning of _poggers_ — Lio deciding to clear out the mess left on the table. Remi said he was going to use the bathroom.

While they were occupied, Meis quickly pulled out his phone. The conference was long over and he was too hung up over that slip-up to listen to what was going on after that.

 **Meis [7:34 P.M]:** Gueira Castellanos, I’m going to fucking kill you.

Gueira doesn’t respond back once everyone left Galo and Lio’s apartment— splitting up after the game was over. Meis gave it some time, if he’s away that meant he couldn’t exactly be on his phone often, while they did keep in contact however much they could.

 **Miami** **❤️** **[9:34 P.M]:** …did u kno tht i love u? 🥺

 **Meis [9:35 P.M]:** I’m going to kill you when you come back, okay? I just want you to know that you’re a deadman. Your days are numbered. 

**Miami** **❤️** **[9:36 P.M]:** You’ll forgive me by the time I come back!

 **Meis [9:37 P.M]:** Trust me. I won’t.

 **Miami** **❤️** **[9:38 P.M]:** u know i just had a long day and the team just got bck to the hotel soooooooo we can talk about how much you’ll tell me u missed me tmr im BEAT

 **Meis [9:39 P.M]:** GUEIRA.

 **Miami** **❤️** **[9:40 P.M]:** bye!! Love u baby xoxo

Meis fought the urge to chuck his phone out the window of his now empty apartment. All of the letters Gueira sent to him stuffed into an old box he's kept with him since being on the run, reading over the last.

_Dear Meis, (wow this looks so professional look at me getting better at this letter writing shit)_

_Meisies!! The game's finally fucking OVER, holy shit. Honestly, I'm so tired. But I gotta start clearing out my locker tomorrow before we start getting medical examinations and stuff. It's always a busy day even after we walk off the field, sadly, lol._

_I'm gonna leave your stuffed pig in there. It's my lucky charm and I don't wanna lose it. I'll be back next season anyway since I'm still clear to play! WOOHOO!!_

_I miss you so much. I miss you guys. I say this ALL the time but I mean it, like... I think about you guys every day while I'm stuck training in the facility and when I'm playing, day and night. I hope you guys are doing okay. You don't gotta write me since I'll be back soon... just know that I'm thinking about you._

_I mean if I were me, I'd be thinking about me too. Wow Gueira, you're so smooth._

_Anyway! I love you. Can't wait until I can see my favorite rockstar when I land in Promepolis in three weeks. I got a long flight ahead of me. Counting down the days as I'm writing this. Cheesy, I know, shut up._

_Love,_

_Miami._

He snorted to himself, leaving the letter on his bedside. His head hitting the mattress. 

Meis was counting down too.

This bed he lied in used to be his and Gueira’s… now for the sake of secrecy Gueira had to get his own a few blocks in the city since he’s a part of the team—it was only a temporary home and by staying there often it wouldn't rise suspicion. 

The only thing to do is wait in painful silence until his arrival.

☆☆☆

"How long do we have?!" Galo shouted. 

"Uh…" Meis looked down at his watch. "Ten minutes." 

Lio and Aina are carefully placing the cake on the table. It's pretty much the same cake Lio bakes for Gueira's _homecoming_ — in other words, landing back in Promepolis after a season was over. They throw welcome back parties only when he was finished for the season, and it doesn't apply if he was playing in Promepolis. Instead they'd just go out to dinner and it counted as a party commemorating to his victory.

"Could you guys _walk_ any slower?!" Galo asked. 

"We have a giant cake in our hands." Aina glared. "Last time we had you hold it you dropped the whole thing and Lio spent hours baking that." 

"And you slept on the couch for three weeks, remember?" Lio doesn't have to look up at him for Galo to turn pale upon recalling the memory. 

Ignis, Varys, Lucia, and Remi are finishing up decorations around the firehouse. They had to move all the clutter so that there's space. Whenever Gueira said he landed in Promepolis and would be coming in the next day they had to start frantically planning his welcome home party last minute. Ignis and Lio were directing orders on where to hang up the cheesy football decor, Meis kept checking his watch every two seconds. Lucia was jumping at the window to look out of it and check if he was coming.

Galo rummaged through the kitchen to look for a candle to light up. The kitchen in a complete disarray with their kitchenware items. 

"Is he across the street?" Varys asked. 

"No I don't see him!" Lucia said. 

Galo's attempting to light the match but he's struggling to. He's using the old traditional set of matchsticks and he ended up burning himself with it. Everyone's staring at him. 

"Sorry." He laughed nervously. "Lemme just." He doesn't light it up. 

" _HURRY_!" Aina screeched.

" _Gah! Okay!"_ He shrieked back, "It's not lighting up!" 

"I think we're giving him too much pressure." Ignis calmed them down. "Just breathe." 

Galo lit it up but he burned his finger on the match and dropped it. " _Motherfucker!"_

Meis took the box from him, "Oh _dang flabbit_ let me _do_ it." He hissed, but his hands were shaking so much he had a hard time striking it. If he still had the Promare it would take two seconds to snap his fingers and light the fucking candle and yet he _couldn't_. 

"Meis." Lio grabbed his hands. "Hey. You're trembling."

He noticed the others giving perplexed looks. 

"Uh. Sorry. Just the jitters." He laughed. The jitters of getting to see his boyfriend of two years after not seeing him within several months, only keeping in touch through texts and letters, which to them _wasn't_ his boyfriend and just his best friend— after _months_ has passed, no matter how many times this had been done he still _gets_ the same exact feeling. 

"Me too!" Galo grinned, "I can't wait to see him!" 

Lio carefully took Meis's hands. "Do you… do you need a moment or you still want to light the candle?"

 _It's because I know how much this means to you._ Lio doesn't say it, but he could read his mind perfectly clear. Meis shook his head. 

"I got it." He swallowed, he took a deep breath and struck the match, this time lighting it. Moving it carefully over to the football themed cake, green and white icing with a chocolate covered football in the center saying _Welcome Home!_ With the single candle pushed into the center. He lit the candle, blowing the match out. 

"He's coming!" Lucia reminded them. Vinny squeaked in response, alerting them. 

"Okay." Ignis snapped his fingers. "Lights!" 

They bolt away to flick off all the lights in the firehouse until it was completely shrouded in darkness. Galo, Lio, and Aina fight over who takes the cake away and carries it to Gueira when he shows up. Remi's not even running. He just walked towards the garage with folded arms mumbling how they have to go through the same exact hectic routine every single _time_ — Meis laughed at him, jogging to the back with the others. 

Galo tripped in running down the garage steps and he knocked over all the junk and equipment stuffed into there. 

"Nincompoop!" Lio hissed, smacking him on the back. "Are you trying to blow our cover!" 

" _Shh_!" Lucia quieted all the commotion down. Aina and Lio are huddled close together, the two of them deciding to hold the cake. Ignis was the last to walk in. He looked at the destruction Galo caused and shook his head, resting a hand against the wall. Remi was squished next to Meis, silent but brooding. Varys helped Galo up quickly by lifting him to his feet. 

It's pitch silent, save for an impending loud fart that ripped through the room.

Galo confessed. "Sorry."

Everyone in the garage groaned and shouted his name, having to deal with the wrath that came after.

"I was nervous!" He whispered loudly.

"Just relax, son." Ignis assured him. Another fart came echoing off the walls. " _You're relaxing too much_."

"I'm going to be sick." Remi's cheeks puffed out. Meis said nothing. Completely immune. He lived with Gueira long enough to know the pain, and Lio seemed to be used to it too.

The door to the firehouse opened. "Hello? Anybody in here?" 

They freeze.

They aren't idiots. They know Gueira _knows_ they're hiding in the garage, yet Ignis treated every surprise welcome home party like a fire emergency. Directing them to leave the garage and scatter behind the common area as soon as Gueira walked in. He turned the corner, and they popped out of their hiding spots.

_"SURPRISE!"_

Vinny left Lucia's shoulder to scurry for the lights, jumping on top of the furniture resting against it to turn it on. 

Gueira's revealed to stand in the middle, and there's a knowing grin on his face. He dropped his luggage and large duffel bag beside him. "And I was thinking you guys might've stood me up!" 

"There's our winner!" Varys whooped. 

"We thought you would stand _us_ up." Ignis winked, teasing. 

"Miss out on seeing _mi familia?_ You're crazy!" Gueira beamed. 

"Welcome back Gregory."

"It's Gueira, sir." Gueira corrected him, knowingly, because this happened every single time they did this.

"God damn it!" Ignis hissed, "I think I have Alzheimer's."

"You're fifty seven." Varys said. "You ain't got Alzheimer's Iggy."

"I think I have Alzheimer's."

Aina and Lio come bringing the cake back to the table. 

"Welcome home!" They said warmly, the others following.

"Happy birthday." Galo blurted out in unison with them. Then he remembered. 

"His birthday passed." Meis whispered, "We're supposed to say welcome home."

" _OH SHIT_." Galo went bug-eyed and they started cracking up. 

"Hold up. Before y'all dog pile me and shit." Gueira pranced his way over to the cake and bent down, giddy.

"Wait bitch." Lucia stopped him. "Make a wish before you blow that shit out." 

"You right." Gueira shot a finger gun at her, snorts filling the room. He glanced at Meis briefly, if his heart wasn't pounding out his chest before it was now, before he blew out the single candle. The rest of them begin to applaud, cheering. 

"Now you can hug me!" Gueira spread his arms. Galo was the first to football tackle him to the ground. 

" _OY!_ Are ya tryna kill me?!" 

_"BUDDY_!" Galo sobbed, "I _missed_ you!" 

"I know you did _knobhead_ but you're squeezin' the fuckin' life outta me!" 

"Dogpile!" Lucia declared, and when Galo got off Gueira she barreled into him next. Lio followed because Galo coaxed him to join the group hug. Aina and Remi went after him. Looking like a bunch of kids sprawling over each other in a hot mess on the floor. Varys and Ignis didn't come in once they made room for Gueira to hug them. 

"I missed you guys!" Gueira teared up, "Still batshit crazy and that's why I love you." 

"You were so awesome up there!" Galo's going on about how proud he was of him and Gueira was drinking up the compliments like fresh water. 

"Heh, you know how much hard work it takes into being this awesome?"

"Don't answer that question." Lio pleaded tiredly.

"No!" It was too late. Galo's eyes are sparkling. "Tell me!" 

He does indulge him while they're crowding around him but he noticed that Meis wasn't involved in the group hug.

They're looking at Meis when the group hug was over. 

"Meis?" Galo asked expectantly.

"I wanna save the best for last!" Gueira announced. Meaning Meis didn't have to join in. They disperse and get up off the floor, (Remi, Ignis, and Varys were more like crouching) making space for Meis to walk towards him. A smile he couldn't fight creeping up his face. 

"Welcome back, Miami." He said. 

"It's good to be back in Promepolis! Always! _Even_ though it'll always be my second home. Nothin' tops Miami." He whispered the last part, they both chuckled at that. There's so much things to be said. Gueira's been maturing the last couple years. Since everyone was drifting off to live their new lives it's rare they get to reunite like this. His hair's gotten _bigger,_ if that's even possible. His features became more chiseled and he was losing that baby face Meis knew and mesmerized since they were kids, now that was so long ago. Clear stubble grew around his chin area (pretty much similar to Galo's) probably recently trimmed so that it stayed neater and less messy, a slight wrinkle in his eyes when he left, aging fairly well since the Promare had left. 

All that lanky muscle was nearly gone with fat put into them that it was unbelievable, but it's what years worth of exercise and pushing past his limits like the stubborn man that he was was— refusing to give up until he was back in shape. Surprisingly it worked, worked so well that him being healthy and nourished, _fit_ , made Meis hold his breath. He'd rather do more things than just a hug, but for the sake of Burning Rescue and the public, he had to get used to the routine of keeping it cool. Keeping _his_ cool. 

Gueira noticed how he looked at him. Boosting his ego. "Ya missed me, Meisies?"

"No I don't think I did." Meis shook his head, narrowing his eyes in thought. "In fact," his lower lip curled up in a smirk, "I almost forgot you were coming today."

"I'm gonna body slam your ass like old times one of these days." Gueira's laughing, "Fuck you, man. You got my texts." 

"Ah. Did I?"

"C'mere." Gueira spread his arms. He's wearing a _Miami Dolphins_ jacket over a Henley, with jeans and combat boots on. Meis rolled his eyes, slowly wounding his arms around Gueira's neck for a brief, but tender hug. Meis can smell the musk of cologne sprayed on, might be hints of sandalwood. 

They have to pull apart because the rest of them want to know all about his trip to his away game. 

The cake gets cut and split between the group, Gueira gets a slice first and Galo pouts simply because he's hungry. Lio ignored him anyway. They end up competing who can finish their cakes the fastest until they and up choking, so Lio and Meis have to stop them from killing themselves. 

“Can you feed me?” Gueira asked, while Lio was feeding Galo happily and the rest of them were enjoying themselves to their cake.

“No.” Meis said. 

“Please?”

“We can’t do that.”

“Why not?!”

He was about to say _because we’re not a couple_ except that they _were_ — they just couldn’t do things like that randomly.

“You know what? This is slander,” Gueira took Meis’s hand and dragged his fork into his cake to take a piece out, “I feel like ‘cause this is my welcome back party I deserve at least a lil’ love from by best friend—”

Meis gave up, shaking his head. “Open your mouth.”

Gueira blinked, “—What—”

Meis shoved the fork into his mouth. He couldn’t help but snort at the way Gueira’s cheeks puff out in protest, then his shoulders relax, and he’s chuckling too.

“How’s the cake?” Meis asked, feeding him another.

Gueira put a thumbs up, “Does Lio know he’s technically like, a baking Jesus at baking shit?” He asked while his mouth was full.

“So!” Lucia’s grinning at them, “We watched your conference.”

Even while mid-feeding him Gueira managed to shift his head and focus on what they were saying. “Every single press conference you guys keep on sendin’ me fuckin’ memes. I love it! Keep ‘em comin’!”

“I told you to ask the interviewer lady about poggers.”

“Sorry, my friend kinda distracted me about something else while I was lookin’ at it.”

“Interesting… because you remember about that comment you made earlier?” Lucia smirked, “So you got a girlfriend now?”

Gueira started choking on the cake he was chewing. Ignis handed him a water bottle, and Varys smacked him on the back so hard that he jerked forward and almost fell off the couch. “I… I have a girlfriend.” It was almost like an inquiry. 

“Hold on a second.” Aina said, “It’s _true_?”

“Girlfriend, boyfriend…?” Varys arched a brow.

“I have a. Uh.” Gueira breathed out, patting at his chest with a fist. “A girlfriend.” 

“Huh.” Remi scoffed. “I don’t think making a comment about her appearance is a very good way to be discreet about it?”

“...I mean, it was just one comment.”

“Who is she?” Lio asked. “Did you meet her while you were away?”

"Where she from?" Varys queried. 

"She's Mexican, like me." 

“Does she live in Promepolis?” Galo pitched in.

Gueira’s sitting there, with cake crumbs on his mouth. Instinctively Meis had to wipe it off with the napkins set on the table. He scratched his stubbled chin, “ _Um_. She exists.” He said, intelligibly, glancing at Meis who narrowed his eyes. He’s still keeping up to the promise to strangle him now that the topic was brought up. The tabloids are booming with speculations of Gueira’s potential lover he accidentally revealed at a press conference and he wanted to tell them all to mind their fucking business. 

“No shit she _exists_!” Lucia frowned, “Bro we wanna know who she _is_. What’s her name?”

“I think maybe he’d wanna keep that private.” Thank God for Ignis. “Don’t bombard him with so many questions. He just came back.”

“And for the next like what, four months he's gonna be here." Lucia said. "Why can't he tell us anything?" 

"Sophia." Gueira said. They're looking at him now. "...she's in Florida right now, so, uh, yeah."

"Long distance?" Aina asked. "Aw that's pretty cute!" 

They're gathered around him like there was quality tea to be spilt. 

"That's great!" Galo smacked him on the arm. "That's your hometown too, right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Our _boy_ Gueira!" Varys slung an arm around his shoulders and his friends started hollering to tease him and make him flush. "I mean it was about time!" 

"Haha… guess it just happened in the spur of the moment. I was at the beach just relaxing and I saw her at the bar." Meis was impressed. Gueira can fabricate a Hell of a believable story, except the entire time he's looking at Meis, fucking _bastard_. "We hit it off pretty good. She makes music as a producer."

They're drinking this up, this imaginary Sophia Dione that doesn't fucking _exist_ but here Gueira was pulling the story out of his ass. 

"Sounds like a real _dame,_ don't she?" Meis asked, voice laced with aggression. 

"She happens to be from Dallas!"

Aina, Lucia, and Galo's jaws went slack. Lio's processing this information, red cup in his hands. Varys whistled. Ignis raising his eyebrows and humming in acknowledgment. Remi said nothing. Barely emoting to the information. 

"I already feel bad for her." Lio deadpanned. "I cannot stand you so I can't comprehend why she can spend more than three minutes with you. This is a sham." 

"Boss! You think I'm frontin' about this?!" Gueira shouted. "I talked about her _ass_ on live television didn't I?!"

"I bet you're just bragging about a girl you bothered at the club. Remember those Burnish clubs we used to go to. I can't count how many times a drink has been thrown at your face."

Lucia busted out laughing at that. 

"I just feel like maybe people are too scared to fall for me. Like look at me." Gueira said. "Sophia is head over heels for me. You can't deny it."

"I'll give it a month." Meis played along, smirking bitterly. "Given that most of the people you chase after run away from you entirely." 

"Sophia can't get enough of me." Gueira licked at his lips, subtly eyeing Meis. Meis sized him up at down.

"I don't see anything worth eyeballing."

"That's _bullshit_. You know what, Lio, Lio," Gueira averted his attention back to him, "This ain't a fuckin' sham."

"This isn't someone you're just sleeping with?" 

"Hey listen. Athletes need to get some type of release." Varys contended. "Nothing wrong with a little fun." 

"That's… that's not the type of encouragement you should be giving the kids, Var." Ignis sighed tiredly. 

"You do it too." 

" _No_ —"

Galo's head perked up at that, _"Say WHAT_ —" 

Slowly the topic of Gueira's fake girlfriend averted to Ignis and Varys because their boss shared so little about himself the years working at Burning Rescue he refused to tell them shit. The day they found out now prisoner Kray Foresight was one of his exes next to Vulcan everyone rioted about that for two weeks straight. Galo was so angry he went to the prison to spit on his glass window and take a shit in his city hall building until it was demolished months later to be built into an entirely new city hall. His name slowly being stripped from all his monuments and creations building Promepolis. 

They light up sparklers outside the firehouse at the end of the night, an old Burnish tradition. Gueira said they used to throw fun snaps for the Hell of it in the desert because they were bored and had Jack shit to do, so Galo had gotten some at the store _somehow_ and set them off recklessly. It's _okay_ apparently because trained former and current firemen were on the scene in case a fire _does_ happen. It caused the others to jump in fear at the loud popping noises, Remi jumping because he didn't want to get hit by fun snaps. Lio and Lucia helped them pop some more until Ignis said they needed to stop before someone got hurt. The cake inside the firehouse was finished entirely. Once these welcome home parties were over it was back to working their jobs and seeing each other less.

Varys was a little more lenient, convincing Ignis that they should set fun snaps off for fun since they're basically reuniting in the firehouse, they definitely weren't _kids_ anymore— they were grown adults with how many years had passed and memories shared when they once worked at Burning Rescue to restore the city and rehabilitate the former Burnish. Ignis just got too used to referring to them as the _kids_ , Meis paying attention to their two superiors beginning to age with hints and gray hairs and wrinkles, props to them for putting up with their bullshit. Ignis had a daughter at home too, so he understood the struggle of all of them having little to no family at all, leaning towards each other and the two older men for support. Heris being in prison after what happened at Parnassus, and Aina had to deal with what was next for her since the Foresight Foundation was in complete shambles. The Parnassus still remained due to its vast size and there needed to be money put into deciding what to do with that shit. Remi's teaching EMT training while going back to school for pre-med. There's still speculation on what he'd like to do about his girlfriend. 

Galo, Ignis, and Varys were working twelve to twenty four hour shifts at the fire department— while Lio ran his bakery in the city. 

This was Gueira's party so he spent majority of the time explaining to them the hectic schedule and why he had to leave two months before the season began _just_ for training and all the medical examinations they had to go through to be cleared given they have no injuries or bad health conditions. 

Meis realized when they had to part for the night, with an entire bucket list planned of what they want to do now that Gueira was back in town that he didn't have shit going for him right now, other than picking up lessons from Remi on being more involved in medical emergencies. 

It was just the two of them leaving the firehouse when it reached ten in the night.

Meis punched him in the arm, hard. Since that's the only way he could properly convey his feelings after not seeing him for several months. His smiles parting with his friends instantly fading. 

" _Ow_ what the fuck?!" Gueira hissed. "Is that how you treat your boyfriend who's gone away for several fuckin' months?" 

"Sophia." Meis reminded him, irked. "Good one." 

"Ain't that a good thing?" 

"Tell me in what world why that would be a good damn thing." Meis glared. 

"Well _because_ ," Gueira tripped over concrete trying to tail after him. "—Cause people won't question us bein' together if I tell 'em I'm dating somebody else?"

"The media won't stop talkin' about it."

"You know that I was really talkin' about you, right?" Gueira laughed. "Don't tell me you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous because I know she doesn't exist. I'm pissed because you can't keep your dang mouth shut." Meis snapped. He's starting to shiver now in this warm water and he doesn't understand why when it's March. Life without the Promare was always going to be strange. 

"I should have sent you more pics while I was away." Gueira's sent plenty. One time Meis was talking to Lio at his apartment and he got hit with a shirtless photo he had to throw his phone out the window so Lio didn't see it was from him. Another they slept together at the Burning Rescue headquarters and he had to leap out the window with his clothes into a garbage can the morning after, pretending that he just walked in while everyone glossed over the fact Gueira was naked and sleeping on the couch. Ignis said if they wanted to bring people to fuck in here or _any_ of them wanted to fuck at all do it when the firehouse is closed because he doesn't want to see anything at all or hear about it. 

Galo and Lio know better after the first few times. Aina and Lucia wouldn't dare to. _It's disgusting,_ in Aina's opinion. Ignis would never. He was pretty much dating Marco and had a daughter at home, and Varys said that's why his apartment existed if he felt like bringing somebody over. Remi said don't even look at him. 

No one suspected Meis would do such a thing either so he saved their ass yet again. Except the part where he had to explain why he smelt like garbage for taking out the trash.

Rules were to be subtle. Pretend to be _friends_. No giving speculation about possible relationships. Three simple rules, and they've broken one of them already after _so many_ close calls. Of course he's _pissed_. 

"You're going to blow our cover."

"Hey, no one's said anything yet!"

" _Yet_." Meis repeated. 

Gueira instinctively took off his jacket to wrap around Meis. "You know you should be bundlin' up with more than just that tank with how cold us folks tend to get."

"You can't put this on me." Meis tried to take it off. "Here."

"No. Keep it on, dummy." Gueira refused, voice gentler but stubborn. "You're the one who's shivering." 

"So are you without it." Meis said, refusing to acknowledge the goosebumps forming on Gueira's skin now. " _Numb nuts_." He threw in, arrogantly. 

"I'd rather have you warm than me, so." Charming motherfucker. Gueira realized what he said and flushed with a bashful laugh. 

"People can't see me with this on." Meis refused to comment on that part. 

"And it's like ten o'clock." Gueira shrugged. "It's like a ghost town here. It ain't like I got paparazzi followin' me around. It's my off-season and while I'm in Promepolis not much people would give much of a shit." 

"I thought someone like you would enjoy the attention." Meis doesn't take the jacket off, knowing Gueira would refuse to take it from him. 

"At first. Sometimes. It's like a love and hate thing for me. Most of the time I want people to mind their fuckin' business, the only reason why people care that I exist is because I play good… _but_ ," Gueira sighed, "That's a story for another time. So! Anything look different about me? Huh? Huh?" 

Meis forced himself to take a good look at Gueira while they reached a bridge, standing at the heart of it. 

"You caught up to my height now." Meis looked away. Fighting back a smile at how Gueira's eyebrows knot adorably. 

"That's not what I meant!" 

"Your hair reminds me of a Pomeranian." 

" _Meis_!" He whined. "Fuck you my hair's awesome, but check this shit." He coaxed Meis to look at him. "See anything different?" 

Meis knew exactly what he was talking about. "Hmm. What could it be?" 

Gueira angrily pointed at his chin beard, being painfully obvious. "Hmm?!" He snarled, almost. "See this? _You see this shit_?! You know how long it took for me to grow this? Ten years ago I saw a _single hair_ on my fuckin' chin and I remember ravin' to you about it." 

"I remember." Then he and Galo had a bonding moment over it because Galo wanted to grow a beard to be like Ignis and Gueira wanted to do it for the Hell of it. Waltzing around the firehouse in his BR uniform at the time with a single chin hair until everyone got tired of it and Lio easily tried to yank it off and watch him screech in pain. 

"So you see me now, huh, remember when we were like thirteen and said I'll always have a clean baby face. Who's the one with the clean baby face now?"

"I almost didn't notice." Meis said calmly, watching Gueira gawk in defeat. 

" _This is a visible manly beard_!" 

"Oh." Meis snorted, smacking Gueira on the arm affectionately at his puppy face. "I love messin' with you. You look handsome."

Gueira's eyes lit up. "Really?" 

"No. I miss your baby face." Meis doesn't mean that but he laughed when Gueira shoved him over. 

"Is it possible for you to look even more gorgeous?" Gueira asked fondly. Meis gave him a deadpanning look. 

"I've heard the same type of flattery from you a thousand times over already."

"Not to be corny as shit, but it shouldn't be a crime to compliment my boyfriend." Gueira smiled. "...did your hair get longer?" He noticed Meis's hair currently bunched up into a bun with a black bandanna around his forehead. 

"Check this shit." Meis grinned. He turned his head so Gueira could do the honors of removing his hair tie. Gueira stepped closer. His fingers weaving in his messy ponytail to remove the hair tie. Meis leaning in slightly to his fingers coming in contact with his scalp, recalling all the other times Gueira played with his hair and used dirty old hairbrushes they found by a sewer to brush his hair with while they were on the run. They tended to scavenge a lot of random shit that when Lio became their leader he questioned their morals entirely at the shit they had in tow.

Gueira let Meis's hair fall free, gasping at the length that it reached. "Dude your time skip design is epic. Your hair reached booty length!" He sounded like a kid who just found legendary treasure and Meis laughed. "That's so cool! Do a hair flip!" Meis does, "Oh _shit_! Yes!" He's shouting in this mostly empty bridge, hyping him up. 

Meis was about to tie his hair back up when Gueira stopped him. He took Meis's hair tie from him, fingers reaching to part the hair that fell down at one side of his face and tuck the fallen dark strands behind his ear, something he had a habit of doing when their conversations about whether or not they'd survive or die the next day got a little too quiet for their tastes. Now they didn't have to worry about that.

The scar on his left eye, faded traces of burnt tissue all those years ago from that Burnish attack on him and his family he used to hide with his long hair remained, but he started tying his hair up to restore that confidence and showing both his eyes. Now he's conscious that it was still there when Gueira looked at it.

"I remember when you used to have short hair in high school." He ignored it completely, making a comment about his hair instead.

"We don't talk about that."

"It was cute!"

"No."

"I missed you." Gueira whispered. He pulled Meis into another hug, burying his head into Meis's shoulder. 

"Don't tell me you're going to cry again." 

"I might."

"I might cry too you dang idiot so _don't_."

"Sorry." Gueira sniffled in a tiny voice. They part and Meis reached to wipe the tears from Gueira's eyes. He kissed his cheek sympathetically. Usually he tried to refrain from doing that too much in case somebody snapped a picture of them, but maybe he's being too paranoid. It's late out. 

"Are you hungry?" Meis asked. 

Gueira looked at him.

They indulge in grabbing a bite at a diner that opens until late because the only thing they really ate earlier was cake and a couple snacks. 

"My nutritionist is gonna smack the shit outta me." Gueira said, unapologetically wolfing down a burger. 

"It's such a bad idea to go here." Meis shoved a bunch of fries into his mouth.

"Yeah, totally. We shouldn't be here."

"Maybe we should leave." Meis lifted the ketchup and squirted it on his burger, taking a large bite. Neither of them actually get up to leave.

"We should. This is so unhealthy." Gueira hummed. "You're an asshole."

"It's your off-season." Meis smacked the pepper bottle to sprinkle it all over his fries. "You're allowed to cheat aren't you?"

"Not too much because I'll have to burn it off." Gueira started stuffing his fries into his burger to eat it together. "I have to keep my super hot bod." 

Meis stole his fries even though he had plenty on his plate, Gueira doing the same. The two of them eating like hogs knowing barely anyone was here. "I thought you still looked like a twig."

"I wouldn't get drafted if I didn't put on anything fuckin' weight jackass." Gueira took another bite. "Also the diet we have is mostly just carbs, veggies, and proteins. This ain't even all that fuckin' different. Still not part of the diet though." 

"And yet you agreed to go here." Meis stole a pickle right out of Gueira's burger to eat it. "Oh, shame on you." 

"I thought this was your idea, dickhead." Gueira flicked a French fry at him.

"You could've told me no." Meis was fibbing. When Gueira came in town they'd end up having more cheat days than necessary anyway and eat like Kray was going to beam the planet into a black hole at fancy restaurants (Gueira being forced to lay low, of course, disguises were necessary) without restraint that employees are unsettled by their presence.

"Of course I won't." Gueira shoved more fries into his mouth, almost done with his burger. "I definitely should though." 

"Mm." Meis agreed, cheeks stuffed with a bacon cheddar cheeseburger. They both know they won't ever say no to burgers and fries. It's good comfort food. With a side of cardiac arrest. 

They leave the diner with Meis paying the bill because he didn't want Gueira to flatter himself about _that NFL money_ he heard about a thousand times over. When they were on the run before Mad Burnish formed they liked to take walks, falling into the natural habit of wandering into the city and admiring the transformed view. 

"Hey look. I think that's one of the office buildings we blew up." Meis pointed. 

"Huh." Gueira nodded. "We _did_ blow that up." 

"Lio left for two seconds, and then you tragically sneezed." 

"I had allergies!" Gueira flushed, refusing to admit that was the cause of the fire. "I knew we were supposed to light it up from the inside and wait 'till he came back but my nose wouldn't stop acting like a bitch." 

"Well at least it made the job get done quicker." That's also what Lio said. "They rebuilt it." Meis mused. 

"Heh. So many good times." Gueira snorted. They're passing by a thrift store. Something caught his eye when he grabbed Meis's hand and stopped him.

"It's an acoustic guitar!" Gueira pointed through the window. "Now you'd have something to replace Buck."

"Gueira, we're not replacing Buck." Meis refused. "Not after I left him behind when we left our old hideout to run from the Freeze Force." Their underground sewage hideout got busted. He tried to come back for it on his bike but Lio and Gueira had to physically restrain him and take him away with their mech on so they could leave.

"But we also came back and buried him! We know how special it was to you!" 

"I had him since we bought him off that sketchy vendor off the street of the Burnish markets for $2 even though we gave him $10 in singles." They were also too lazy to count.

"That motherfucker ran away without giving us any change." Gueira realized, years later. "He scammed us. I should've set his ass on fire." 

"I think we chased him down an alleyway and he set your ass on fire and booked it before we could find him." Meis reminded him. 

Gueira looked at him, eyes drifting in thought. "Well it's good that we're here because now you can get a new one. You're still makin' music right?"

"...The music's goin'." Meis said vaguely. "Christ, everybody's askin' me that."

"'Cause you're awesome?! Duh!" Gueira smacked his shoulder. "You always used to be singing stuff to us and to me back in the day. You were always the music prodigy and I was the sports prodigy." 

"But that was a life or death situation. Besides, my rockstar days are over. It’s better off that people forget about who I was.”

“But they haven’t.” Gueira said. "You had a whole ass band before you turned Burnish." 

"...And they didn't make it out alive after I turned Burnish, so I've just been solo.” He couldn’t bear to pick it up again after the carnage that happened at the venue, running away from the Freeze Force, using his power until he passed out in Gueira’s arms, after finding out his bandmates were captured and killed months after he got separated from them that final concert.

Benji Lykaios and Stephanos Alistaire, often nicknamed _Slim_ among the Burnish, respected, talented and strong people. They were the ones who wanted to form a band with Meis after hearing him play solo at a bar downtown. They felt like they needed a voice like Meis's that could tell the masses what the Burnish go through instead of hiding in the shadows for so long.

It’s too much to handle, that he still had nightmares about them never making it out of that building alive, if he had hurt Gueira that day when he had just gotten grasp of his powers. Meaning that they've always _known_ he had it in his blood.

There's a period of silence, "Okay but you're not just spendin' the last couple years doing medical training while I've been gone, right?" 

"I just don't know if I'm ready to pick up music again." Meis admitted. "Also I feel like I'm cheating on Buck."

"Buck is dead, babe. This could be Buck _two_."

Meis was tempted, "No." But not that tempted. 

"C'mon! You always agree to my crazy ideas!" 

"I'm perfectly fine with being a valuable asset to Burning Rescue and assisting during medical emergencies. Remi is an amazing teacher."

"Dude's gonna get his doctorate's or some shit, so I bet he's busy too. Listen I coach kids at the school near here so I stay active but also because it's me. I don't think patching up someone getting a pole shoved through their stomach is the Meis Yeon-Castellanos I know."

"...Putting Slim Jims around our fingers when we were eight doesn't count as us being married—"

"—Since we're dating now it counts as an engagement since I say so and I'm only using boyfriend as an official title because you refuse to allow _fiancé_." 

"I still didn't think it was a real proposal because I thought you were joking."

"I spent 99 cents on those Slim Jims _fuck you_ we're engaged. It's okay I know it's a lot to take in because of how handsome I am." Meis rolled his eyes at Gueira. 

"You've literally never changed."

"Indeed, mi amor."

Meis threw his hands in the air, "I don't wanna get the guitar. Besides, the store is closed." 

"Who said we can't still take it?"

"That's shoplifting, Miami." 

"My point exactly!"

"Can't do that anymore or back to community service while on probation." 

They have to head back to Meis's apartment eventually. Though first, they needed to go back to the firehouse where Gueira’s stuff was kept, every Burning Rescue member had a spare key to get in through the back in case anyone needed to come back for other purposes. Taking the long walk to Gueira’s apartment— he’s got _that stupid fucking money_ so he had a stupidly fancier offseason residence, well it wasn’t anything you’d see A-List celebrities temporarily living in, but compared to his and Meis’s place, (just Meis’s, at this point) there are glaring difference with how well-kempt and polished the complex was. Except, Gueira just lived like a slob so his apartment wasn’t any different.

Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, coming around the time they had to go back to their respective apartments as Meis’s rules strictly applied. It wouldn’t be good if someone caught them together when he’s sort of vaguely announced to the public he was in a relationship— so they spend time together during the day and night, like they usually would, no PDA— then retire for the night. Anything more that happens stayed indoors. Next morning, repeat.

“Wait.” Meis dropped Gueira’s extremely heavy Miami Dolphins duffle bag on his bed with ease. Taking Gueira’s luggage for him to set beside his bed. “Um. Lemme at least… walk you back to your place.” Gueira offered.

Meis truly didn’t want to leave either, but the walk back to his apartment is quiet. So quiet he could hear his rapid beating heart and even though there’s a distance between them, he’s warm all over, now that he was here, without him it was dire and chilled.

“So, um. Now that I’m back.” They were at his door, used to be _theirs_ — “I actually...need to go grocery shoppin’. My trainer gave me a list of shit I should be eatin’ for that diet we’re on. I’d get it done faster if you were with me. ‘Sides,” He grinned sheepish, “I want us to spend _a ton_ of time together, at— at least—” _before I go_. 

“Sure.” Meis agreed to it. “What time?”

“Nine. I'm jet lagged as Hell but I'll try my best."

"It was a three hour flight. You should rest more." Meis advised, because he always cared. 

"Nah it's a'ight. This ain't the first time I'm back in town." Gueira waved a hand. 

“Okay.” Meis agreed to it. 

"Wait at my apartment. I have to go to the gym at six and run an errand so I'll be back by then." 

"Okay. Sure. Don't wear your jacket around though."

"Aw man! But it's so cool!"

"No." 

" _Fine._ "

To go from joking around and laughing until they couldn’t breathe to barely exchanging words at all, it feels like they’re strangers catching up more than lifelong friends and partners. 

“Meis—” Gueira looked him in the eye, “—Can I— Can I kiss you?”

Sometimes, Meis never really liked to give clear answers, instead, he gave challenges. “I don’t know, you probably should before this door closes.”

Gueira took that challenge in a heartbeat, sealing their lips together and the painful despondence of wanting to _do so_ since he walked into the firehouse this morning— Meis’s hands grasping Gueira’s waist to hold him steady, Gueira’s fingers carding through his hair. He cupped his cheek, even though both of them figured they should stop they don’t. They keep indulging until their lips are searing and kiss-swollen, keeping it at a gradual pace.

The complex was empty at this hour, and it feels like they’re still being discreet when they don’t necessarily have to. Meis wanted to be a little selfish anyway. He knew Gueira was aching to. Then they have to part, Gueira taking his hands to bring to his lips and letting them stay there.

“Goodnight.” Gueira let their hands drop, backing away.

“Night.” Meis let their hands drop free.

When he fished for his keys to enter his apartment, he realized that Gueira’s jacket was snug over his shoulders that he got so comfortable having it on already.

If he ran after him to give it back he’d probably tell him to keep it anyway— doing it on purpose. _Now everyone could know who’s the lucky guy to have one of my jackets_ — he’d probably say. Meis shrugged the jacket off, setting it on the chair of his dining table.

“Idiot.” He whispered, but he missed Gueira too much to be angry at him.

♡

_They're hiding away at another motel. Meis woke up and realized Gueira wasn't sleeping in the bed next to him. The digital clock read two thirty in the morning. He rose, seeing a flash of red and teal outside, as if there may be signs of Burnish activity._

_Last time Meis checked, he and Gueira were the only ones in this motel. He yanked the covers off him, pulled his leather jacket over his tank and walked outside. He does end up seeing Gueira, forming a ball of a single flame in his hand, using it on his other hand. Except, when nothing happened when his flames came in contact with the bare skin of his hand he burst with frustration and tried again. The source of the flash, over and over._

_"What are you doing?" Meis asked. While it's been the two of them now, leaving everything completely behind he wouldn't deny that it's taking a toll on them both. It's only that Meis had a better way of hiding it than Gueira had, the past few days have been desolate. Inches put between them that was normally shorter. Lingering silence. Fewer conversations. "Are you tryin' to burn yourself?"_

_"The fuck does it look like?" Gueira asked, "I ain't succeedin' with it though."_

_"Don't be an idiot. You can't do that with your own flames."_

_"Who said I can't keep trying?"_

_"You can't." Meis told him, "You can't do stuff like that at this hour when you never know who's lurkin' these streets."_

_"Let 'em take me. I don't give a fuck." Gueira formed another flame, recklessly aiming fire that he set off part of the building until the wall was painted black, like charcoal, and a few plants beneath, which took effort to be nurtured only to be destroyed._

_"Do you have any idea how many times we almost got captured and you're risking that again?" Meis approached him, growing irked at how lightly he's putting off their situation. "We could get our asses killed."_

_"I'm tryna feel something!" Gueira shouted, and it was easy to set him off, especially when he was already volatile with petulance. "I feel so fuckin' numb with how everything is so fucked! So just, fuck off or somethin'. I don't wanna hear that shit!"_

_"Why the Hell would trying to hurt yourself help?!" And Meis easily got riled up when Gueira stubbornly refused to cooperate with him, for the many years they've been with each other. "How the fuck do you think putting us in danger would solve?!"_

_"We ain't got shit here!" Gueira pitched his voice louder, and he stepped closer to Meis. "There's nothing out there for us! Freeze Force is on our tail! People are gettin' captured left and right! You lost your fuckin' band and the one thing I thought I'd have going for me was a big fuck you that we're gonna die and running won't do shit!"_

_Meis grabbed Gueira by the collar, "So you're just gonna give up like a fucking coward?"_

_"Don't tell me you think you'd still have anything left either!" Gueira shoved him, "Without 'em you know it's over, Meis! Stop trying to make all these shit promises that don't matter anymore, everything's been fucked since day one!" He punctuated with another shove, "C'mon then, make me feel something then. 'Cause I can't do it myself."_

_"Gueira." Meis warned. It's a clamorous time right now, and the both of them needing to release the steam of what's been racking their brain, everything they've witnessed first-hand and experienced all within the span of a couple months. Gueira continued to shove him, provoking him._

_"Who's the fucking coward now?"_

_Meis grabbed his shoulders, punching him square in the face to snap him out of it. "Get your head right, will you?!"_

_Gueira seemed to take it as a challenge, returning with a right hook to the face. It's drizzling. Meis feeling rain droplets hit his face, tasting copper on his lip from the bleeding bruise that formed on it from the punch. The droplets fall faster when he took another jab, and Meis threw one back._

_It went back and forth. The adrenaline rush of each time knuckles came in contact with bare skin, wanting to release an umbrage that reached past the skies and only lead on by instinct. Eventually, it took Meis's face stinging after he barely felt the twinge of pain to bring him back to reality, taking Gueira's arms to seize him, lifting him up and slamming his body down on the concrete, ending the fight then and there._

_"Do I oughta beat some more sense out of you?" He threatened, expecting Gueira to resist and go for another round. So far, it'd be a draw with a fair fight that was put up. However, Gueira's shoulders relax and he's laughing, low, and rashly. The rain cascading down on them._

_"Do it." Gueira shook his head slowly, "I'm yours. All yours." He's waving a white flag. Meis felt the trembling of Gueira's hands, slowly letting go of them. His hands trail up Meis's waist._

_Meis couldn't bring himself to do anything more. He rested his forehead against Gueira's, the wetness of rain drops pouring down from his face down to Gueira's own. They're jaded from the brawl they've dragged themselves into._

_"What're we doing, Gueira?" He asked, pleading of an answer. Wandering aimlessly into an abyss? For a light at the end of the tunnel? Gueira doesn't seem to know the answer either._

_"I dunno." Gueira grinned, although he was wincing at how it hurt to move his face even slightly at the bruises on his eye, bleeding nose, and mouth. "But your eyes are gorgeous."_

_And Gueira's beauty was otherworldly, similar to a fierce lion in the wilderness. Brash, powerful, and determined. Everything that Meis needed by his side, and it was them against the world. He doesn't care. Meis rose, sitting up. Taking Gueira's hand to pull him up as well, a grunt of exertion coming from him._

_"And your face looks pretty banged up." Meis smacked the side of his head lightly._

_"Who's fault is that?" Gueira asked, cheekiness from before turning bleak._

_"Should be yours—" Meis started, about to do another jab when Gueira tugged him closer. Their lips coming in contact for a brief, fleeting moment. Gueira's lips searing on his own, but quickly, it ends when the feeling is gone, and Gueira's eyes go wide the same time Meis's does._

_"I— sorry— FUCK—" Gueira scrambled up to his feet. Meis found it in his legs to work so he could stand up properly on his two feet._

_"Gueira—?" Meis attempted to touch him, something almost instinctive at this point, to soothe— but Gueira's flames explode around him like a protective shield and it urged Meis to stay back, uncertain whether to welcome him or not._

_"No!" He cried. Stopping when he saw what had happened then— shaking his head, distress clear in his doleful eyes. "I just... Meis, I'm sorry..." He walked away from the motel and down the block._

_Meis knew he wasn't running away, he needed space. They both did, even though neither of them said it outright. The truth is, it wasn't something they could fathom. That's why Meis followed after him, speeding after Gueira walking down the block to wrap his arms around him from behind._

_Neither of them knew how to handle this. Truly young, naive, wandering, uncertain, on the inside— hopeless, trying to stay positive so that maybe they're lucky enough to survive when they've lost everything. Nothing's going to save them._

_Gueira wanted to fight his way out from how he felt confined, break free, Meis wanted to find himself, find peace. They drop to the ground, instead of breaking away, Gueira hugged Meis and sobbed into his chest. Meis held him tightly, feeling like it was the only thing they could do, even if they were both terrified of what was to come._

_"I don't know what to do. 'M so fuckin' scared." Gueira whispered, "I'm scared, alright? I don't know what we're doing, what I'm doin'. I don't know how to live life outside of failing stupid tryouts and shit! Tell me what I should do—" Meis opened his lips, a melody coming to mind and a flow of lyrics._

_"I don't wanna die..." While Gueira went on, Meis started to sing a **[song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh0caTtJjgQ) **_

_"Old river... tumble down, poor Moore sister broke her crown..."_

_Until Gueira's babbling and rocking back and forth slowed, until he grew quieter. It came to mind, something that would help them cope with all this madness that rained down on them. It was working, Gueira's shoulders stopped shaking, until he stopped clutching tightly to his shirt. He kept his voice low, calming, even through the rain, Gueira can hear clearly. He carded his fingers through Gueira's hair._

_It's going to be alright. In his words, he doesn't sing them outright, but the notion lingered. Meis lifting Gueira's chin to wipe the tears running down his cheeks, staring up at Meis with a sense of homage that it was okay, that they're here, and that's what mattered._

_He didn't protest, giving Meis motivation to keep going, even if he was truly unsure himself._

_They needed to learn how to find solace if they were to ever be apart, but they needed to handle chaos in a world that they weren't prepared for together. Their dreams become distant and only thoughts to be long gone for the obstacles that'll bind them together._

_It's time to grow up._

☆☆☆

Gueira was lingering in front of Lio's bakery as he tended to the current patrons, awkwardly standing around thinking Lio didn't spot him. 

"You know if you just stand there I can see you." Lio eventually blew his cover. Gueira winced.

"Hey little punk!" He waltzed inside like he wasn't hiding. "Què pasa?" 

"Working." Lio answered flatly. "Are you here to buy something or sit here and aggravate me?" 

Gueira smiled sheepishly. Meis was waiting at Gueira's off-season apartment and he said he wanted to step out for a bit for an errand, but he was really here to get him something. Dressed in a simple black t-shirt and sweats, part of his hair tied into a small ponytail.

"This place is really lookin' up these days." He commented. Back then Lio used to struggle getting customers. First time they opened an old lady walked in and thought the place was a hair salon and walked out when Lio politely corrected her it was his bakery, hence the sign. Now some days it would be crowded with people seated at the tables outdoors and indoors, up until late. Lio would be busy all day and sometimes he needed Meis and Gueira to help out because Galo had his shifts at Burning Rescue. 

With popularity of _Detroit's Bakery_ came with instances where they got robbed, a lot. So Gueira suggested he keep a bunch of fun snaps under the cash register to throw it at the floor to distract any asshole that decided to rob or vandalize his bakery so they could kick their ass, the perfect synchronized attack— Lio threw the pop snaps. Gueira did the football tackle, and Meis took the money back and threw them out of the bakery. If they weren't here Lio had no qualms roundhouse kicking robbers to the dirt.

People just didn't like to see former Burnish striving to live their own lives and that wasn't going to stop Lio from starting his own business, and Gueira couldn't be any prouder. He deserved to do this much, if only he could try to make Meis do the same. 

"Thanks." Lio mumbled. Gueira spread his arms.

"Gimme a proper hug! Come on, boss!" 

Lio sighed, leaving the register, donned in a black apron with the logo of his bakery smacked on front. He even had the Burnish flame embroidered into the logo at the top, hugging Gueira tightly and letting out a small snort. Gueira hugged him back. Lio had to pull away when more people were walking in. 

"Welcome to Detroit's Bakery, hi." He flashed a quick smile, shifting into his best customer service voice and face at the next person stopping in front of the counter. "I don't think you should be here when you're supposed to be on a strict diet." 

"It's not for me!" Gueira promised. "...I'm actually here to get that strawberry crepe. It's for Lucia." He lied. 

"Is that so?" Lio eyed him. "I forgot how much that girl is fond of sweets."

"She's too busy at her own lab to come here and shit so." Gueira pulled out his wallet. "Keep the change."

Lio stared at him, impassive. He wrapped the crepe up in a black box with the logo written in script at the center, sliding it to Gueira. He took his money and doesn't keep the change, he slid it back to him and the coins. "This is a hundred dollar bill."

Gueira smirked. "I know. I was thinking maybe you'd need it."

"This crepe is only five ninety three." Lio responded, already agitated. "I do not need this much change."

"Keep it as a tip." 

"I'm going to throw a fun snap directly at you." 

"Thanks." Gueira took the box, and the change, winking at Lio. 

"Help!" A woman cried out, from one glance they could already smell her affluence from a mile away, "That man stole my purse!" 

"Not again." Lio muttered. " _Everybody stay calm_!" He shouted, lifting the box of fun snaps under his register. He ran after the man on his way out the door, flinging the snaps at his feet and scaring the shit out of him. 

"Gueira!" Lio demanded. "Drop the fucking _crepe!_ " 

Gueira abruptly dropped it and bolted for the man, tackling him to the ground. Lio slowly walked up to him. 

"Okay. Let him go." He said. 

"Sure thing boss." Gueira let him go without realizing that he still had the purse. 

"No I mean take the _purse_ back!" Lio shouted. He ran after the robber and dropkicked him in the back, taking the purse back. Gueira used his heavy boot to kick him in the ass and push him out the bakery.

"Can you robbing bastards fuck off?!" He barked. 

The lady was thanking Lio when he handed her purse back to her. 

"Well. That was a close one." Gueira joked. Lio picked up the box and shoved it at Gueira's chest. 

"I have to go back to work." He clipped. "You don't want to keep Lucia waiting." He stomped back to the register. 

Gueira caught on Lio didn't want to be reckoned with right now, so he left the bakery promising to drop by later. Getting on his rented motorcycle to head back to his apartment. He followed Meis's orders. Making sure to dress like a normal citizen so people recognize him less. He jogged to the door, box in hand, knocking on it so Meis could open it. He left his keys inside the apartment.

Meis opened the door. 

"Hey. I got you a gift!" Gueira beamed, holding up the box. "Sorry it took a little long, some asshole robbed the bakery again—" 

Meis shut the door in his face. 

Gueira stated at the door. "...Meisies? I live here." 

The door opened back. Meis gave him a dead stare, hair back in a bun. Living together meant seeing him in graphic tee's of his favorite bands but all of the sleeves have been cut off to make it into a tank top, and it was the perfect weather to wear them out now. They're both wearing matching black bandannas around their foreheads. He snorted at Gueira. 

"I'm just kiddin'. Get on in here." Meis pulled him inside. "I thought it would be funny if I closed the door in your face."

"That's exactly what you did you fuckin' _dickhead_." Gueira punched Meis in the arm. 

"So what'd you get me?" Meis wound his arms around Gueira's waist, pulling him in for a sweet kiss, once, twice, and a couple more. 

"Your favorite." Gueira handed him the box. "I know you made breakfast while I was gone and snackin' on those protein bars Galo put me on to, so think of this as early lunch." 

Meis smiled. "Oh, I thought jocks didn't know how to be gentleman." 

"Shut the fuck up and eat the crepe, man. I tackled a robber for this." Gueira glared. 

Meis didn't finish eating it in the apartment because Gueira said they needed to go shopping. He's excited because they have an amazing day ahead of them. He said Meis can eat the crepe while they go to the grocery store, walking there on foot. 

He couldn't help but sneak glances at his boyfriend, ( _fiance,_ but he will digress) he's gotten older too, he's always matured quicker than Gueira. He's gotten a few more ear piercings, a septum, and the navel one's new. The only one Gueira bothered to get was his ears because he was terrified to do anything more, remembering the pain that came with getting his collarbone tattoo from Slim, Meis's old bandmate and guitarist. 

He looked more domesticated now, at ease now that Gueira was here. It made him smile, tracing his soft features, even though Meis was made of stone. He's got a diamond heart, but even those are capable of cracking.

"What." Meis glared at him. He still looked the same, save for how his hair just gets longer and longer.

"Nothin', just lookin'." Gueira said, dopey-eyed.

Meis grumbled something under his breath, he snatched away the list of things Gueira's trainer said he needed for his diet, knocking them down one by one. Not until they tried all the free samples, rode around the shopping cart, and got distracted doing things that _wasn't_ shopping. 

Gueira was wheezing so much with laughter he couldn't explain what he saw on his phone. "Look at this fuckin' shit Galo just sent me." 

"We need to continue shopping." Meis said. 

"But look at the shrimps dancing." Gueira said between giggles, "What the fuck is this. I show shit like this to my teammates and they're so confused." 

"Okay, okay it's funny but shopping." Meis opened the freezer and froze, "Someone put Doritos in the freezer."

"That's how you know we in Promepolis." They start cackling. Meis ignored the chips and picked up the frozen meat beneath it. 

"Oh he _stealing_!" Gueira pointed. People were looking at them now, and he started cracking up. Meis threw the bag of ranch Doritos at him. 

"Very funny." He picked it up from the floor to drop it inside the filling cart. "You're paying for all this now."

"Fine by me." They resume going down the list. Sometimes they'd drop things in different aisles and laugh when one of them casually walked away from it if no one was watching. A kid stopped Gueira at the register while their items were being scanned to ask for an autograph. 

"He's a big fan." His father reminded them. 

"Oh for real? Sure thing buddy!" Gueira bent down to sign one of the pictures he had of Gueira posing on the field. Meis fought the urge to roll his eyes and pretend he was a customer standing behind him, pushing their items across the conveyer belt. When Gueira ruffled his head and said goodbye he paid for the groceries so they could walk back home with the bags.

"Jeez, you got so jacked." Gueira complimented watching Meis take all their bags to set on the counter at once. 

"Kickboxing." Meis smirked. "Also. Gym. With just Lio though. Since you and Galo are gym buddies. Check it." He mimicked a gun cocking noise lifting a bicep. 

"Holy shit." Gueira high fived Meis. "That's awesome!" 

"It's important we have to stay fit and healthy. But you improved a lot. I can see your progress." Meis patted his chest. "I'm proud of you too."

"Heh, I mean, if my ribs were still showin' that would be a problem." He's still insecure about how his weight used to be, no matter how much he improved it's going to take him a while until he was comfortable with this being enough. "So I've been thinkin' last night!" He clapped, "I wanna take you somewhere tonight to help you gain some inspiration for you to make music again. At least try to build your studio at our place since I'm not really gonna be there as much." 

"Not this again." Meis shook his head. "Could we at least make lunch first?" 

"I don't want us to be shut in here all day. We _can_ still hangout." 

"Where you plannin' on takin' me, a live show?" Meis gave in, folding his arm and leaning against the counter.

Gueira smirked. "No, even better." He started taking out the ingredients and slamming them on the table. "This my house so we 'boutta make some tasty ass pozole."

"Oh. You cook now?" Meis smirked, jabbing.

"Shut the fuck up _I can make_ gourmet food."

"When we lived together I made most of the food."

" _WELL I'M GOING TO CHANGE THAT._ " Gueira reminded him heatedly. "So, anyway. We gotta peel the garlic, chop the onions," He demonstrated, loud and brash every single step he took into cooking said dish. The thing about the two of them being together under one roof was that insanity held no bounds, dare they say, their inner crackhead energy came out.

"This is about to be the best motherfuckin' pozole you ever tasted." Gueira said, gesturing to the chilies, "Pour that shit in that bitch."

Meis sprinkled the spices in the boiling pot and they high five each other in triumph, rejoicing over how smoothly cooking their lunch was going so far. Most of the time Gueira's just angrily giving a follow-through on the cooking process for show and Meis was laughing and helping here and there.

"Okay! Taste test!" The broth was boiling for over half an hour now, Gueira stirred it with a large spoon and lifted it up for Meis to taste. 

"How is it?" He asked, clasping his hands over his mouth and waiting eagerly. Meis sipped a little from the spoon, and smacked his lips. He made Gueira wait in painful silence before a hot minute before he said, "It's good."

Gueira clapped his hands, "BOOYEAH!" He jumped, pumping his fists in the air.

"You're a fucking legend."

"I cooked this whole dish. See. I fuckin' told you." They finished setting up the table where the toppings and the main dish were spread out, last but not least the glasses to pour drinks in. "Bone apple teeth."

Meis poured his glass of champagne and handed it to Gueira, "I'm pretty sure that's not how you say it." He said, pouring his own glass next.

Gueira stopped midst digging in, "It's not?"

"I don't think so."

"What's the actual meaning again?"

"I think it's bone app the teeth." Meis was being genuinely serious. Gueira shrugged. They started eating and commenting how good the food was, conversation changing casually.

"Hey, baby."

"Mhm." Meis was busy sipping from his glass.

"What would you do if Sophia was real?" Gueira asked, sportively. "Sayin' there was ever any speculation that I was with somebody."

"Mm. Then you wouldn't have a dick." Meis set his glass down. Gueira laughed nervously.

"Haha. What does that mean?"

"I'll rip it off with my bare hands." Meis added, aloof, he took another bite of his food, winking at Gueira. 

Gueira stared back at him, bewildered. 

Meis responded by throwing a feint at him, making Gueira scream and jump back. He grinned.

"I totally got ya there."

"You fuckin' _pendejo_." Gueira leaped out of his chair to put Meis into a headlock, "You wanna wrestle me at the dinner table? A'ight, you're so fuckin' on."

Meis retaliated, turning them around by lifting Gueira's arms, twirling to his back and putting him into a chokehold from behind. "You sure 'bout that?" He challenged. They're laughing through their roughhousing. Eventually they have to stop to eat before their food got cold.

After lunch, they still had a long day ahead until night time so they went exploring. There's endless things for them to do in the Big Apple, despite the overpopulation of people booming at its finest again. They had museums, bars, ferries, even though shitty, the botanical gardens, and more to spend the hours of free time. Gueira learned Meis liked tipping people who did performances in the subway and on the streets and enjoyed watching those the most more than anything. Goofing off for a little at different stores and snapping photos.

Once it was finally night time, Gueira rode with him to a noisy underground club with a bar and what sounded like someone talking through a microphone from the outside. 

"What is this place?" Meis asked, smacking Gueira's hand off his ass.

"Not even one squeeze?"

"I'm going to break your hand." He warned, the noise getting louder the closer they approached. Gueira only gave the bouncer one look and he let them through. It clicked when they were inside the crowded club what type of place this was. 

"This is a club for former Burnish isn't it?" Meis asked. 

"It's also where a rap battle event is happening!" Gueira explained. "Eh? Am I genius?!"

"A _what_?" 

"Rap battle!" 

There's two men and a man and a woman up stage spitting verses to each other back and forth while the emcee is announcing who's roast was better. They watched a couple of these go on and Meis looked unsettled. 

"You think _this_ would give me inspiration?"

"Yeah! We see bands play all the time but I wanted to show you something different."

"Hey." A man walked up to Meis. "Aren't you Dallas? From Dead Man's Hand?"

Meis and Gueira exchanged looks. "No. I think you got the wrong person old sport."

"It is you!" The man shouted. "You look so different! I was such a big fan!"

"Me too!" Gueira agreed, stoked. Gueira expected Meis to give up trying to conceal his identity but he just grabbed the guy's shoulder and knocked him out cold with a single punch.

"Sorry I had to do that, fella." Meis caught him before he fell and sat him down on one of the chairs at a nearby table.

"Why did you do that?!" Gueira exclaimed. 

"I can't have too many people knowin' who I am."

"Jesus, babe!" 

Meis dragged them further away from the unconscious man. The contestants on stage are currently going on about how ugly their shirts are and the crowd was going wild, possibly already drunk.

Gueira stole a drink from someone to knock back and gulp down. "I'm gonna go up there next." He said. 

"No you're not." Meis refused. "No. Don't do that."

"I'm gonna do it." Gueira drank more of the glass. He shook his head furiously and smacked his own face, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Cheer me on okay? It's _my_ vacation and I call the shots how I spend it."

"By doing a _rap_ battle?"

"Fuck yeah I always wanted to do it. You watch and see if it gets the gears going. Okay. Motivate me." 

"Gueira." 

"Alright! Who's going next?" The host asked when the stage cleared out. 

Meis smacked Gueira in the face and grabbed his shoulders. "Who's the best baller in Promepolis?"

"I fucking am!"

"Who?!"

" _Me_!" Gueira turned to the stage as people started looking at him. "I'll go!" He shouted.

The crowd cheered when he jogged up the stage. Taking the mic to go against another guy. Once he saw that he was an old geezer he thought this would be a piece of cake, then he started talking about how his rap game was awful and that kids don't know true music these days, they talk about being the best when they barely passed their classes. Gueira decided to flame him by rapping verses about how boomers need to shut up because they don't know shit and come off as they know everything. 

Apparently punching him in the face wasn't allowed or he would be disqualified. It's extremely corny, they're playing beats while they were roasting each other to match the tempo, but the crowd was eating it up. He took another beer while on stage and kept going until the man didn't have shit to say, taking the title of victory proudly. He could see that Meis was smiling now instead of visibly grimacing earlier at the roast session.

He gave Meis the microphone forcing him to sing something for the club.

"His name is Meis and he's a fucking legend!" Gueira announced to the people. "C'mon Meisies, get up here!"

"Gueira, _no_." Meis forced a smile at the people shoving him forward. He shook his head.

"Get up!" The host slug an arm around Gueira's shoulder "Show us how ol' Burnish folk out here get down!"

Gueira dragged him on stage, winking at him and getting off. Meis glared at him.

"You're gonna kill it!" Gueira gave a thumbs up.

Meis does sing, knowing since Gueira was in town he was allowed to call the shots so they have a good time. Even though it was a solo. There was no current performing band but the DJ was able to play the [**song**](https://youtu.be/EH-SWKNAWN0?t=42) he requested.

He seemed timid at first, since it was so long when he had the spotlight like this. 

"Walking, waiting. Alone without a care… hoping, hating, the things that I can’t bear." The crowd got silent, only one smooth voice reverberating through the premise. The beat picking up instantly. 

Meis clutched the stand with an iron grip. "Did you think it’s cool to walk right up, to take my life and _fuck it up_ , well did you?" 

The reception made him grin and restore more of his confidence, yanking the mic off the stand, making eye contact with Gueira in a way that made him swallow and his heart nearly stop. "I see Hell in your eyes. Taken in by surprise, touching you makes me feel alive. Touching you makes me die inside.”

 _Holy shit_ this song was raw and vulgar and _not_ the choice Gueira was expecting, but he's brimming with excitement and the people here are digging it. They're already loving it. He’s put under a spell, entranced by the way the audience followed his every move.

“Walking, waiting, alone without a care.” He ran a hand down his face, walking slowly, though as a creature would preparing for another attack, stalking towards its target. “Hoping, hating, the things that I can’t bear.”

His voice got louder and Gueira can feel the passion, he could feel the simmering rage, similar to the time he went Burnish in a concert all those years ago.

 _“I hate you!”_ His performance setting the venue in flames, and it was terrifying. They had done this because Burnish folk were mainly the fans of their band, and Meis wanted the cops to bust them to send a message out by having this concert, his two bandmates Burnish themselves. Gueira didn't run. He had turned already at the time and he stayed with Meis while everyone had fled, even if the blast was powerful enough to send him flying across the room. He got up, pushing his frail limbs, rushing to Meis to tell him that he was like them now. Only when they were just teenagers.

The cops had broken in at the time to reprimand them, and Meis protected Gueira all he could— even though he had only gained his powers fresh, they were highly unstable, his Promare engulfing everything within reach until it repelled every single thing away from him like he was practically _glowing_ — they both fought them off, vowing to never leave each other and stay side by side.

Besides, walking out of the flaming building in a pit of fire, caused by his best friend was an epic moment.

"I slept so long without you, it’s tearing me apart too. How’d it get this far, playing games with this old heart. I killed a million petty souls, but I couldn’t kill you. I slept so long without you." He jumped down the stage and on a table, almost as if he could set this club aflame at any second now and the crowd screamed along with him, completely at his mercy. 

“I see Hell in your eyes!” To go from tenacity to crowd surfing within a couple minutes. He's audacious with every stride he took, the club pumped up every time he sang another word, perfect harmonizing. _And he thought he wasn't meant for the fucking stage._ Gueira wanted to laugh, even when Meis got lowered to the ground, grabbing Gueira by the collar of his shirt, licking the roof of his own mouth and eyeing him like prey before he sprinted and jumped back up the stage. 

He almost lost balance and went dizzy after that encounter, up until the performance was over. They're raving so much that they could probably be heard down the blocks and could alert the cops then and there. 

Meis dropped the microphone, sweat clinging to his skin. His muscled bare arms reaching to wipe the droplets on his brown, strands of hair stuck to his forehead. 

"Give it up for Meis!" The host screamed. The crowd went wild. Meis smiled a little, putting a hand in the air. Gueira rushed up the stage and took his arm, the two of them bowing while the applause rings through the room. 

In Promepolis, Meis held recognition for music he released a long time ago online but he was noticed more when he performed back home, it mostly didn't matter about publicity when most were too wasted to care. Gueira cheering the loudest. 

The rap battle and solo session ended with all the former Burnish dancing like it was the end of the fucking world, one thing they're good at doing— Gueira and Meis in the middle of the herd of swarming, writhing bodies. Like if the cops showed up they would be sincerely outnumbered. They got drinks at the bar and ended up making out on one of the couches before sitting at a table to catch their breath.

"So? Was this enough to give you inspiration?" Gueira asked, giddy. 

"Just a little." Meis admitted. "Was this a ploy so you would get me to consider music again and make me sing in front of those people?"

"No." Gueira bluffed, taking a swig of beer. Meis did the same. "Okay maybe." 

"I said I was thinking about it."

"...Is that a yes?" 

"I said I don't know." 

"You're an amazing musician! You know those covers you put on YouTube had like over millions of views!" 

"It's just not that easy for me to pick up a guitar when we nearly died ten years ago at the Parnassus and went through that and the aftermath." Therapy did help. Working at Burning Rescue did help as well. Gueira was ready. Though he could understand how it's different for everyone. "I just want to focus on you. Don't worry about me."

"Fuck that! Music is a part of you. That's who you are."

"You think so?" Meis eyed him warily.

"Yeah!" Gueira laughed. "My biggest dream is to have you perform at the stadium I'm playing at." 

There's silence basking in those words. It's probably the alcohol, but he could see the surprise swirling in Meis's eyes. 

"HOLY _FUCK._ That's Gueira Castellanos and Dallas!"

...Until a couple people recognized Gueira _and_ Meis and caught on, that they weren't just two random bros that waltzed into a Burnish bar.

"Shit." Meis clicked his tongue. "We gotta skedaddle."

Gueira was in the middle of drinking a Martini when Meis grabbed his hand and dragged him away. They had to cut their time at this club short bolting out of there.

Six people were tailing after them.

Gueira remembered Meis couldn't run as fast as he could. "Can you pick up the speed?!" He hollered back.

"I can't run as fast as you _dunderhead_!" Meis shouted after him.

"Fuckfuckfuck," Gueira turned around and ran back to lift Meis and throw him over his shoulder. "Sorry I have to do this!"

"GUEIRA!"

"YOU'RE RUNNING AT A SNAIL'S PACE!"

They manage to get to their motorcycles quicker, Gueira letting him down so they can start the engine and make a haphazard turn to veer out of there as fast as possible. Laughing like maniacs the entire time and feeling like it was just the two of them completing a successful raid years ago all over again. 

"I thought you said people would barely recognize you here." Meis said, back at his apartment. 

"Oh. I guess I thought wrong." Gueira said. "I didn't think that far." 

"That was a Burnish bar." 

"Shit." 

The two of them start cackling. 

"What made you choose that song? I haven’t heard that in so long." Gueira asked. "I think it's a bit of a flex you chose something you sang like twenty one fuckin' years ago."

"I had a lot of feelings." Meis answered vaguely, although it radiated something menacing. "You know, it’s just feelings about everything we went through since people always wanted us dead, me meeting you at the worst time of our lives. Losing my entire band? Jokes on them. We ended up surviving.”

“I almost thought you were about to fuckin’ go Burnish up there with how good that was.”

“...I might’ve.” Meis gave him an unnerving glance.

Gueira went pale. "...The fuck you mean by that?”

Meis patted his arm reassuringly. "Just messin' with ya. I just got really into it, is all."

Gueira scoffed, he damn near almost shit his pants. Yeah, Meis totally did, alright. Might as well light the stage on fire and cause another carnage. 

"So, uh. I know we're gonna have busy schedules. The others wanna hang out with me on some days. So it's your turn to decide where we'll go." It already reached late when they entered Meis's apartment. 

"I already got an idea for where we'll go." Meis smirked evilly. 

"Oh God, where?"

"You'll see." 

"For fuck's sake." Gueira groaned. He realized this was it. Meaning they both have to go to their separate apartments.

"Uh… so tonight was fun."

"Yeah, it was." 

"I gotta get going." Gueira smiled. "Goodnight, Meisies!" He kept a cheerful demeanor. 

"See you tomorrow." Meis nodded at him, seeing him out. 

Gueira watched the door close. His face fell. Their goodnight ended so quickly, and he didn't want to leave. This was like leaving at the airport all over again. He stopped at the door. Knocking on it hesitantly. 

Within seconds, the door opened. The silence was heavy. Gueira's heart pounded seeing the desperation on Meis's face that matched his own. 

"I know we're supposed to go to our separate places, but I miss being back here." He confessed. "This used to be our place. I'm sorry. I just. I just thought maybe I could stay for one night—"

Meis gently tugged him inside, closing the door shut. He returned Gueira's pleading gaze while he rambled. 

"If you wanna kick me out and tell me to go back that's fine but—"

"—Gueira." Meis hushed him with a finger to his lips. "...I waited months for you to come back, text messages and letters aren't enough." 

_I want you to sleep in our bed tonight._

Maybe Gueira could be a little selfish, just this once. No one has to know. 

"I'm back. It's been forty eight hours, and I wanna fuck you good." He stepped closer. 

"So do it before I change my mind." Meis tugged on his hair. 

He lifted Meis up and held him to that promise, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss on their way to their bedroom.

☆☆☆

"It's already been two months since Gueira was back?" Lio asked, and Meis was now helping him at the bakery while his own shift ended. "I swore he just came back yesterday."

“Time flies.” Meis said. That’s why whenever he’s around Burning Rescue would dedicate certain off days to go on road trips or do fun activities together while Gueira was here, because even though he was in town they all still had jobs to do.

Luckily Gueira had his off-season job as well, so he wasn’t spending the free time he had here doing nothing. Unfortunately Galo and Gueira had been going out a lot to have their own _bonding moments_. So Meis had been helping Lio out in the meantime. 

“Didn’t Galo say he was going to take him to an ice hockey match?”

“Yeah.”

"Galo and Gueira, huh?"

There's an awkward pause.

"Seen it comin'."

"Yeah." Meis and Lio say in perfect unison, and that same order respectively. "Before it used to be like Gueira would fucking kill him for giving me incorrect CPR to bring me back to life."

"People change." Meis snorted. "I used to be kinda wary of him too."

"Galo wouldn't hurt a fly. He's just..." Lio had a faraway look in his eyes, "He's just so _good._ Gueira needs that type of good."

"He does."

"But they're terrible as a duo."

"For damn sure."

“Well he better be back soon or he’s a deadman. He promised we’d have a date tonight.” Lio grumbled, his face lit up when he saw an old woman walk up to the register. “Hello Linda!”

“Hi, dear. How are you?” 

“I’m fine, thank you. And you? Did you walk outside more today?”

Meis smiled at seeing Lio this bright in spirits since usually he wanted to strangle some of the regulars here. He had to hold it to Lio, he’s strong, and he’s holding himself up well to get this far. He’s trying, and he admired that trait in Lio. Creating a safe haven for former Burnish that often occupied this place among the non-Burnish. 

“I did!” Linda answered, “It’s usually hard for me, but I wanted to push my legs and get some exercise rather than staying home all day. No one’s gonna walk me, especially not Honey, so I oughta do it myself.” She chuckled.

“You should bring Honey in sometime.” Honey’s a poodle Linda owned, and she’s utterly adorable, tiny, and bashful. However, Lio treated her like his own. “Lady Baltimore as usual?”

“Yes please!” She politely slid a ten dollar bill over the counter. “She needs her nap time, unfortunately. Maybe when she’s less cranky.”

Lio punched in the price, taking her cash and calculating the change to give back to her. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” 

Meis placed the cake in a new box, handing it over to her. “Enjoy the rest of your walk.” He nodded at her.

“Thank you!” She held both their hands, before her nimble fingers took the cake. She nearly dropped it and they had to scramble over to stop her from dropping the cake. “Oh, sorry! Sometimes my hands and legs tend to give out a lot.”

“No problem.” Lio shook his head, “Just… be careful not to drop that.”

Thankfully, her current caretaker walked over to take the box from her before she dropped it. She looked back at them and waved before leaving the shop. Her caretaker was a man, a hand on her back to guide her out.

“She’s the only reason why I didn’t burn this place to a crisp.” Lio sighed out. Whenever they got stressed, Meis offered they throw fun snaps in the back to relieve that stress. They aren’t real firecrackers but they make a good substitution for it.

“I think this suits you.” Meis commented. Lio looked at him, flushing a little. He tossed a fun snap at the ground. Meis chucked a few to the ground, before he handed the rest of his to Lio to pull out a cigarette. Sitting on two cardboard boxes meant for old furniture brought into the bakery from IKEA left here to collect dust.

“You have no idea how many people tried to shut this place down. The government didn’t want to approve of it, because former Burnish didn’t have qualifications to open their own business. Whatever the fuck that means.” Lio slammed another fun snap on the ground. Meis puffed smoke into the air. “Is it because me and Galo punched the ever living shit out of the planet?”

“They probably see you as a convict of mass destruction.”

“We’ve already been to jail once, and did community service. What more could they possibly want? A warrant?”

“People are bigoted pieces of shit.”

“I just think they’re scared to reform Foreshit’s laws, the main reason why I’d never want to run for office, no matter how much all the ex-Burnish wanted.” Lio explained, “The man’s in fucking prison and they claim to make this city better and yet former Burnish are still homeless, starving, can’t even afford tuition let alone to live under a roof.” Having apartment facilities for them is a start. “It’s really bullshit.”

“Ten years passed.” Meis stared at the large wooden fence ahead of them, “The only thing we can do is stay positive things will look up for us. We’re not goin’ anywhere. They just have to understand that.”

“While Galo’s out there helping others, I felt like I wanted to go the extra mile do something more. So.” He lazily gestured to the bakery, “It’s… it helps. It’s therapeutic.” 

“Do you miss him?”

“Sometimes, he’s not always around… but I’m more interested in how you do it.” He stopped throwing fun snaps. Toying with one of them. Meis took a drag, glancing at Lio from the corner of his eye.

“Whaddya mean?”

“If Gueira isn’t playing in Promepolis he has to leave all the time.” Lio looked at him, “Is it hard?”

Meis narrowed his eyes, anguish made his stomach churn. “The first time he had to leave? Yeah. It’s not easy. I want to support him, so it is what it is.”

Seeing him leave. Wishing his bed weren’t so cold and empty every single night. 

“At least you have Galo here with you, even though you two will always have different priorities. It’s the same for Gueira and I… I just think our dreams will mean we’d be far apart, but we’ll still be connected.”

Lio tossed the last of his fun snaps aside. “...I just think it’s weird he managed to get a girlfriend.” He said. “Gueira’s a stinky fucking _donkey_.”

Meis spit out his cigarette and couldn’t stop wheezing. He wasn’t expecting that.

“I love him but he’s also the most annoying person I’ve ever met. You keep his head right, even though you both lack brain cells when you’re together.” Lio drew his legs closer, settling his hands in-between. “Sophia from Dallas? I’m surprised this doesn’t bother you. That’s so strange.”

“And I told everyone a bunch of times why I don’t really care about who he’s with.” Meis snorted. “As long as he’s happy.”

“We just always… thought the two of _you_ would end up together. Gueira said you two were married by Slim Jims.”

“We were kids.”

“I just assumed something was going on?” While they had people to protect, they couldn’t really touch up on that aspect. Meis had a sense of closeness with Gueira that didn’t have to involve proving to everyone that they had something special, it’s like people look at them and just know that it was there. That bond. 

“It’d be too complicated for anything to happen.”

“The Promare’s gone. I said I was going to open a bakery, things did complicate that, but did I shut it down? No.” Lio stared at Meis, “So when are you going to tell everyone Sophia isn’t real?”

Mid lighting another cigarette, it almost fell from his lips. He abruptly inhaled the smoke too soon and started coughing. “...What’re you talkin’ about?”

Lio pulled out his phone, scrolling through something. He showed Meis a photo posted on an article. _NFL wide receiver caught getting friendly at a local ex-Burnish pub._

“Luckily, people are blocking and the camera quality is too shitty for people to identify it’s you, but I noticed that bandanna.”

“Fuck.” Meis sighed. He couldn’t bother to deny that, but it happened so long ago he didn’t think he’d have to worry. 

"You guys went to a pub for former Burnish. Did you honestly think people weren't going to catch on the two former generals of Mad Burnish would be in there? Were you thinking?"

"No." Meis admitted bashfully. "...Also, it was Gueira's idea."

"And you both still went."

"There was a uh, rap battle."

"And there's also a video of _Dead Man's Hand lead singer and bassist's epic performance caught on video_ , if you'd like to see that next. It's impressive."

Meis doesn't even remember ninety percent of that night. He slumped his head down on his palm.

“I wonder how Sophia is going to feel about this.” Lio taunted.

“I feel like the distance and all the publicity is gonna be too much. He’s like a damn celebrity now.” Meis reasoned. “See, this is the shit I’m talkin’ about.”

“It’s to be expected.” Lio put his phone away, “They know he spends his off-season vacations here unless we travel.”

“That’s the last thing we want.” Even though it’s pretty clear Gueira was itching to tell everyone. He wanted to. While doing that was just too reckless.

“Aren’t you like a celebrity too? Literally, this article acknowledges you both as celebrities. How has no one put two and two together?"

“That was years ago, I’m not in my prime anymore.”

“When are you going to pick up music again?” Lio punched his shoulder when Meis rolled his eyes. “I know you want to. I saw how your eyes linger when we go to the record store.”

“When my head’s right.”

“You miss it.”

There isn’t a second when he doesn’t. “It’s not because I don’t want to, it’s because I feel like I’ve lost my touch…” Until recently, at the Burnish pub where he made hundreds of people riot over his performance. 

“What I’m saying, is that you both can’t keep hiding. You’re not on the run anymore.” Lio said, “Maybe it’s time for you to put yourself out there too. Besides, everyone still thinks Sophia exists. And I think that’s pretty impressive.”

Meis laughed, ruffling Lio’s short hair— what resembled a pixie cut— and Lio leaned his head on his shoulder. “...I want you guys to be happy too.”

“We are. We’re just focusing on the now, and not the future.” Meis said lowly. Not about Gueira leaving soon. He didn’t want to think about that either. He wanted to let him have his fun with everyone, go out and enjoy the Spring and Summer Promepolis sun and skies, get a breath of fresh air. 

“You have to close for me.” Lio stood up, because their break was over. “Make sure you lock up too because idiots keep trying to rob and destroy this place.”

“Probably because you’re doing so well.” Meis snorted, slinging an arm around Lio’s shoulder as they went inside.

He got ready for Galo's date in record time when it reached closing. Galo came in, having changed into a more appropriate casual attire— and Meis was sweeping the floors and mopping down the tables when Lio left the kitchen changed into an outfit he had ready. He practically threw off his apron in an obscure area of the back room, heels clicking against the floor.

"Okay. I'm leaving." Lio informed Meis, he gave him a brief hug and air kisses exchanged on the cheeks between them.

"You kiddos have fun." Meis nodded them off. Lio hooked an arm around Galo's own, the two turning back to smile at him.

"See ya!" Galo grinned. When they were leaving Galo banged his head loudly on the door and groaned, stumbling out the shop with Lio holding his head with immense concern as they head down the sidewalk. Meis assumed they'll be alright.

He's putting all the chairs up when someone walked in.

"Sorry, we're closed right now." Meis doesn't look up from scrubbing down the counters.

"I thought you'd need an extra hand." Gueira offered. He tried to rest a hand on the door and make a suave entrance, but he slipped on the tiled floor and busted his ass with an agonizing shout.

"I forgot I mopped the floors." Meis said, unapologetic.

" _You say that after I walked in?!"_ He wheezed.

"My bad." He tossed a rag on Gueira's limp body. "If you're gonna help get scrubbin'."

Knowing Meis wasn't going to help his ass up anytime soon, he rose to his feet on his own. Helping clean up the shop before Meis flipped the open signed over so it was officially closed. The glass case securely shut, checked all the storage and equipment to keep them organized. Last was dragging down the steel doors in the dead of night.

"Do you mind if I ask you somethin'?" Meis lit both their cigarettes as the two of them begin heading down the block.

"Shoot."

"What do you do when I'm gone?"

Meis eyed him.

Go to work. Go to bars. Sit in his apartment the rest of the day. Help Lio out at the bakery. Thinking about him. Avoiding making music.

"Get a life." He went with, blandly, but it made them snort.

"Everyone's tryna get a life these days, huh." Gueira asked, but he's not really fishing for an answer. It'll hold him off, though.

They end up sleeping at Meis's apartment again. Meis staring at Gueira's naked form. Wishing that time wouldn't go by so fucking _fast_ before they're miles apart again. Maybe one of these seasons would be in Promepolis, but there's no confirmation of that yet. He stared up at the ceiling.

Even though the same bed they shared was tiny, one of them often falling off a lot— it's better than how big it used to feel with the empty space beside it.

☆☆☆

Meis and Lio separate after closing the next night. He came in late straight after his shift with Remi driving the ambulance around, though Lio never chewed him out for being tardy, he just threw an apron at him knowing it was time to get busy.

Remi understood why he was leaving in a hurry, anyway. He said he needed to feed Alisa in the sewer, and Meis awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, telling him to tell her he said hi and to have fun. He's not sure if that constitutes as a date or not. He was practically skipping in his step to get her food and whistling, and it was pretty damn hilarious.

Meis decided to go the route towards the thrift store, walking down a familiar street. Cigarette in his mouth. He saw the guitar at the window, as if it were waiting patiently. 

Out of modesty, he dropped the cigarette and crushed it beneath his boot, entering the store. The boy behind the register's probably working a late night shift. He's reading what looked like a playboy magazine, Meis ignoring that to stop in front of the counter. He does look young, dark, wild hair, piercings on his face and ears similar to what Meis had.

"Hi." He doesn't even look up from what he's reading to Meis's deep voice, but it doesn't deter him, "How much you sellin' that guitar for, kid?"

"Fifteen bucks." The kid finally looked up, and when his gaze met Meis's it flickered with a reverence that made Meis hesitate. "No— no fuckin' way—" His voice trembled, struggling to grasp the reality of this encounter, "Shit, I'm so sorry— are you— are you Dallas—?"

Meis smiled with duress, "Mhm—"

"Oh my God—"

Meis put a finger to his lips. "You gotta keep this a secret between you and me."

"I've been listening to your old music—" The kid pointed at himself furiously, as if he wanted Meis to know something he wasn't saying outright, "I— I used to be Burnish too. I heard the lead singer of Dead Man's Hand went Burnish apparently and joined that arsonist group and they broke up and I thought you fucking died or some shit, I'm so in love with your music. I didn't realize it was you until I noticed how different you look now. Are you still playing?"

"My bandmates passed." Meis pursed his lips, he ruffled his long hair back over his eyes, "I'm just a solo artist. I haven't made any songs in years."

"Ah, I'm sorry...What about those covers you did?"

"It's alright. They were just old hobbies to keep the spark goin' but I didn't have time to keep that up. I work now."

"...Listen, my friends and I were such big fans of your music. Burnish artists are super rare nowadays, most of them are dead or don't make music anymore— so this is so epic." He rambled on, practically gleaming, "We were in hiding since the Freeze Force situation until our powers were gone, and now we're free."

"Seems like you kids had it luckier." Meis mused. "You got your life back. Make sure you make the best of it."

"You have no idea how much you inspire the other Burnish kids out there with your music, and your creativity, your awesomeness." The kid continued. 

"Hey. What's your name, champ?" Meis asked him. He seemed to flush at that question.

"Uh, it's Jesse. Jesse D'Angelo."

"I'm Meis."

"Nice to meet you." Jesse laughed, "I actually play guitar, well I work here in my spare time. I live in the apartments for teens who used to be Burnish."

"I see." 

"The guitar's on the house!" He exclaimed, "Forget what I said earlier. No one's bought it, that's why the price is so low. But it was salvaged by an ill Burnish singer who had cancer and he wanted to sell his guitar before he passed, so he just came in one day and gave it to me to put up for sale. Was pretty fuckin' crazy."

Meis stared at the guitar. Feeling a familiar ache in his chest. His heart went out to that man, respecting the courage to part with something so personal to him. He pulled out his wallet and slid a twenty over the register.

"Keep the change." He told Jesse. A wash of motivation surging over him to get on with buying that guitar, like it was calling to him. 

Now he needed to rebuild his studio.

☆☆☆

“I can’t do this.” Gueira wanted to turn around. Meis dragged him further into the local petting zoo. 

“You promised I’d get to choose what we do on some days.”

“What the _fuck_ is _this_?”

“Promepolis’s petting zoo.”

“It smells like shit.” Gueira scrunched his nose up. So many children were here swarming the farm. Hundreds of animals on display for people to rub their hands all over and excitingly pet. Meis grabbed his hand and tugged him into the first exhibit. Goats.

“Don’t be a coward.”

“Listen I ain’t a coward! This kinda shit just weirds me out a lil’. I still remember your pigs back in Dallas.”

“Those pigs were my children.” Meis followed a herd of people through a cage door. Gueira let go of his hand and refused to enter. Meis turned back to him.

“Get your ass inside here.”

“No. I’m not goin’.”

“Gueira, we’re going to pet these damn goats whether you like it or not.” He forced Gueira inside, and there were so many of them wandering around on stacks of hay. 

“How the fuck are they doing that?” He pointed at the kids happily petting one of the goats. Three walked up to Meis and Gueira, and Gueira stumbled back, yelping when the goat started biting at his shirt. “What’s he doing?!”

Meis laughed, “ _She_ just happens to like you.” He petted the other one that nuzzled its nose into his side, holding his cheeks, it licked his hand, then his face. 

“No, no.” Gueira stopped the goat. “Stay.” He demanded. She only listened for two seconds before she started chewing at his shirt again, “Oy! _Dios mio_.” 

They were allowed to feed the animals food, so Meis gave Gueira an empty cone filled with food for the goats to eat. He gave it to one of them, jumping as she began to eat it happily. 

He was on edge for every animal exhibit they visited. Especially when it was time for horse riding, but Meis lifted him up on the horse and forced him to go on it and that he would join him. He refused to go fast, even if it was recommended if inexperienced to ride slow since kids usually visited these places often.

“Did you enjoy it?” Meis asked, once they’ve left the zoo entirely. Both of them covered in hay from tossing hay at each other during a hayride on the back of a truck, just to take them down the farm and make a roundabout back.

“I don’t know how you feel comfortable being attacked by bunnies.”

“It feels like home to me.”

“Just fucking live there then!” He barked, as Meis ruffled the hay out of his hair and laughed. It was back to roaming the city, today being more of a public transportation day. Some people preferred to wander around in mechs while some drove in their cars, or took the bus. Means of getting around was flexible with the years that have gone by. 

“I think one of these days I should get a rabbit of my own, what do you think?” He asked Gueira, whose eye got caught on a particular store they stood in front of.

Which just happened to be a Build-A-Bear workshop.

He looked at Meis, and Meis looked back at him.

Approximately two hours later they leave the workshop with dressed up bears in their arms. Gueira named his John Madden and Meis named his Bullseye. They took their bears to have dinner with them at a Korean restaurant blocks down. Years later he still can't use chopsticks to save his life but he tries. After they're stuffed, Meis didn’t plan for their night to be over after they hit a vintage bar that resembled a saloon downtown. First, they tried out the mechanical bull when it was free. The people cheer most because Meis was able to stand up on it, however, when Gueira got on he fell off two minutes in with a set of boo’s. 

“Fuck these people.” He downed a shot at the bar to calm his nerves, “Just watch when I get better at it.” 

“Take it easy.” Meis chuckled, “It was your first time.”

“All these people supposed to be pro’s or something?” He watched another guy fly off the bull and the crowd gasping and wincing at the impact. “He only took ten seconds!”

“...Maybe it depends on how they’re feeling?” Meis asked for another drink. “Hey. Don’t get worked up about it.”

Gueira grumbled. “Whatever.”

They actually showed up right before they had a rodeo dance event going on. Gueira was completely lost because Meis blended right in and he was a stick in the mud.

“C’mon.” Meis took his hands, guiding him to the dance floor, “I’ll teach you.”

“I don’t know what the fuck anybody’s doing right now.”

“That’s why I’m here.” They fall into line with the other patrons dancing in the bar. Gueira stepped on his shoes multiple times, bumped into him, or their legs got tangled up causing them to stumble because he was a slow learner. 

He was beginning to grow frustrated because everyone else knew how to do this shit but him. Meis was patient with him, he was just an impatient person. Bumping into someone hot-headed as well because the douchebag got angry at him for messing up their footwork and Gueira ended up pummeling him in the face. He remembered without the Promare there’s less cool things he could do, like using it to his advantage during bar fights, instead, it lands him punches in the face. He’s glad that Meis had his back in taking on that idiot and his friends.

They ended up being asked to leave after that, with their bears they left behind. 

Thank God Meis was good at patching wounds now once they took the train back to his place.

“I leave in two weeks.” Gueira murmured. Hissing as Meis dabbed at the bruise on his right eyebrow. 

Meis stopped pressing on the wound. 

“I wanna tell everyone.”

“You know we can’t do that.” Meis got a bandaid ready, first aid kit open beside them. 

And he’s tired of Meis saying that.

“Do you even know how long we’re supposed to do this?”

“...I don’t…” For once, Meis was speechless, a rarity. “I don’t know.”

“So you didn’t think that far, or is it just that we do this until you feel like it’s okay?” He asked, eager to know. 

“We should focus on the fact that you’re back in town, and that’s all.”

“We barely sleep in separate apartments anymore.” Gueira’s been spending more time at Meis’s place more than he did in his own place, no matter how fancy and polished it was. Meis wore his jacket around the house. They’ve been touching a lot more, sneaking in kisses while in public. People are beginning to speculate, regardless. “...C’mon, I know you want to too, because I want to, so badly…”

“Not with how people still see us.” Meis patched his wound up. “So you don’t want to.”

“But I _do_.” Gueira pleaded, “ _Fuck_ , I just. I’m just tired of hiding. I’m gonna be so fucked when I have to leave you all over again and every time we’re apart from each other I just… it takes me a while to get used to being away from you. Now that we’re together it feels like I can’t even touch you enough.” He leaned his forehead against Meis’s. “And I love you so much.”

Meis heaved out a trembling breath, “I love you too.”

“...So what are you afraid of?” Gueira whispered. He knocked his head on Meis’s lightly. Begging him to answer. 

Meis lifted his head, averting his gaze. “Losing you.” He pursed his lips. “But I can’t tell you to stop what you’re doing, I know how much it makes you happy. I know it’s a lot for you, and I’m sorry. I just need more time.”

Gueira narrowed his eyes. He licked his bruised lip, huffing a laugh. “Yeah. Sure. I just think since I’m here I should feel like I’m actually spendin’ time with my boyfriend.”

“Gueira, of course we’re spending time together. We always have.”

“But you’re afraid that some shit is gonna break us apart!” Gueira exclaimed, causing Meis to wince at the outburst. “You don’t think I understand how hard it is to go back and forth, spend hours and hours training and discussing shit and doing the same shit, have people wanna know everything about our next strategy when one injury for me means I can never play again? I thought being here means I won’t have to deal with all that anymore and be reminded of how hard it is.”

“Is this not what you expected? What you signed up for?” Meis asked, he gestured over to all the equipment surrounding his apartment now. He did go to the thrift shop and buy the guitar, set up his apartment into a makeshift studio, then he tried to get something going— and it didn’t work. As Gueira always said: trial and error was okay, the first thousand times he never made it through football tryouts at school. Then he played again after the Promare left, picked it up while at college and decided he was going to give it another shot. “You realize if I go back to music we’d end up seeing each other less? You push me to do something with my life and yet no matter what I just know that we’d never be able to meet in the middle as much as we used to, you’ll have to _grow up_ and face reality.” He shot back, lips curling into a snarl.

Gueira felt a stab at his chest with those words. He’s thought about it, however he refused to acknowledge it as truth. “Yeah, maybe it’s best if we didn’t keep this goin’. Right?” He muttered. “What were we thinking?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t.” Meis said, voice dropping an octave. He could sense the dejection in his tone. Gueira stood up.

“Cool.” He sniffled. “So have a goodnight.”

“...Remi’s graduation party is next week, I don’t know if your training schedule will mesh up with it. But you should come at least.” Meis closed the first aid kit. 

“I’ll think about it.” Gueira cracked his knuckles. “Goodnight, Meis.” It hurt to say, and there’s a crack in his voice he willed not to let out, but it bled through anyway.

“Goodnight.” Meis said, under the moonlit starts, his beauty remained eternal. Even when his eyes were brimming with tears. “Get home safe.” 

Gueira nodded, walking towards the door and opening it. He almost left when he realized he forgot his bear. His walk of shame turned a three-sixty and he returned to grab his bear, but Meis was about to give it to him just as he walked in.

“You forgot John Madden.”

“Thanks.” Gueira smiled weakly, taking it and walking out the door.

He heard Meis’s door shut once he reached the elevator.

When he entered his own apartment, he cried, sliding down his door and letting the tears fall.

The same way he'd start to cry when he boarded his next plane, head buried between his knees after failing miserably to hold in glossy eyes in a gate full of waiting people for their flight, just as he turned to walk away from Meis.

☆☆☆

Gueira was on his final week of coaching his kids at the high school, upset to have to give them a heart-to-heart talk about how amazing they were this summer but now that practice was near, they needed to be on their A-Game.

Galo gave him a surprise visit when he was talking to them, forming a huddle on the school field. Chanting their team name to show spirit and motivate themselves. He left the locker room to see Galo waiting outside, in his usual tight black shirt and baggy red and yellow cargo pants. Except, his face, although older, still had that same burning bright spirit.

"What're you doin' here?" Gueira laughed, seeing Galo grinning at him. "Planning a surprise attack on me?"

"Nah, just wanted to see you!" Galo walked up to him, the two embracing in a firm hug before pulling away. "I saw you coachin' those kids."

"Yeah, yeah, uh." Gueira smiled, bashful, "They're knuckleheads, but I fuckin' love 'em."

"They play hard for you."

"Course, they should always play hard, since these kids have the opportunity to be a part of a team... and I was never that lucky, so. I wanna make sure they keep their head in the game." Gueira said. Those kids are growing on him and they meant a lot to him.

"I see how they look up to you." Galo patted Gueira on the shoulder. "They love you, man. You're an awesome coach."

"Thanks." Gueira nodded, "I... I try."

"Inferno Margharitas?" Galo offered, Gueira's lip quirking up into a small smirk. 

"Race you there, Thymos." Gueira shoved at his chest. The two men bolting down the field to race for their motorcycles, except, they cause mayhem speeding through the streets to get the pizzeria, that when parking they screech to a stop and a gust of wind blew on all the guests sitting at the table. Including one guy who's wig flew off revealing a patch of baldness, embarrassing enough. Marco stepped outside with a calm smile to welcome them inside, knowing this was the usual.

"How's your girl?" Galo asked, now they're on their third pie of pizza. 

"Wha?" Gueira asked, mouth full. 

"Sophia?"

"Oh!" Gueira chuckled, stalling, "She's... you know, she's doin' okay."

"That's good!"

"What about you and Lio?"

"Awesome." Galo answered, face lightening up, "Lio's pretty fuckin' amazing, man. He's runnin' that bakery all by himself, so it's a lot. I feel bad I can't be around too much, but Burning Rescue means a lot to me and I gotta be with Ignis and Varys."

"Don't be so tough on yourself." Gueira said, "Sometimes we have important shit we have to dedicate our lives to and it's hard to balance those things with everything else."

"I know, it's just. You know, it's been so different. Everyone's really busy now." Galo murmured, gaze flickering down to the table, "It just wasn't how I expected?"

"You expected us to be cleanin' all that shit you and Lio caused for the next ten years?" Gueira teased, causing them both to snort. "Life just goes on, I just think it's a matter of time before things change when you least expect. We're still together, aren't we?"

"Do you feel bad too?" Galo asked. Gueira frowned.

"Feel bad about what mate?"

"Being away from Meis and not being around often?"

Gueira bit his lip, crinkles in his eyes at how he recoiled at that statement. "Ah... can I be honest with you, Thymos?"

"Sure." Galo turned sincere, his azure eyes pooling with compassion. "You can tell me anything."

"I do miss Meis."

"'Course you do, why wouldn't you?"

"I." Gueira wanted to confess, "Thymos, um..." He scratched his cheek, "Fuck, well, we got into a little bit of a stupid fight so we're not really talkin' right now but, yeah it is really fuckin' hard. I miss it, a lot."

Galo smiled, knowing, "It's because you feel it in here." He pointed at Gueira's chest, "You know it in your soul that you're both connected. It's how I felt when I formed Galo De Lion with Lio."

"Yeah I think that shit is pretty extreme." Gueira jested, rising a laugh out of Galo. He's so carefree despite how he's always hard at work, Gueira wanted that energy. "The NFL life is nothin' what I thought at all."

"You gotta struggle in order to really feel like you've got a taste of it." Galo empathized, "No one said it was gonna be easy."

"So how the fuck do you deal with it? With... with the work, the distance, the trauma...?"

"I tend to grin and bear it." Galo's black ring on his finger sparkled under the afternoon sun, knuckles balled into a fist. "I don't repress what I feel anymore. I face it head on. Extinguish it. Then I keep going."

"Huh." Gueira nodded slowly. 

"Hey, one thing I like to do when I'm not workin', and while Lio is... I go to comedy shows in the night." Galo smirked up at Gueira, "Wanna come with?"

"Shit, bro, you know it." Gueira instantly agreed to it. "But first, though. I wanna go paintballin'. I feel like beatin' the shit out of you at paintballin'."

"Fuck it." Their pizza was finished within five minutes. "Let's do it!" Galo accepted the challenge.

"Bill." Marco calmly reminded them before they rushed out the pizzeria. Ray tapped the table. Gueira was about to pay when Galo stopped him, tucking the bill into Ray's apron.

"Have fun." Ray waved them outside, watching them grin and wrap their arms around each other. Marco smiling as he went to the back.

☆☆☆

Remi’s graduation party was at a party hall rented out with the help of Ignis and Varys. It wasn’t anything posh, just a room with chairs and a single stage, a row of food catered to them by Galo, Lio, and Aina, and some Ignis paid to have made by catering services.

They’re in the middle of making speeches to congratulate him on him graduating and starting his residency as a doctor when Gueira finally stumbled through the door by tripping over something. The noise loud enough for heads to turn and see him walking in. Galo excitedly waved him over. Lio and Meis were seated next to each other. Everyone in formal garb for the occasion. 

“Did you know he was going to show up late?” Lio asked, watching him sit next to Galo on the other side of Lio. 

“I don’t keep tabs on him twenty-four seven.”

“...And as my general for years I know how unusual it is for you to act like you don’t.”

Meis said nothing.

“Is it because he’s leaving soon?”

He could see the pity in Lio’s eyes, but he paid attention to Ignis’s speech up on stage. Remi sitting there rigid, and overwhelmed to have them all make these long speeches about his achievements as both co-captain and now future doctor.

“How long have you guys not been speaking for?”

“A week.”

“Meis, he’s leaving soon.”

“You don’t think I know that?” He murmured under his breath. Galo excitedly strolled up there when Ignis was finished making his speech about how awesome he was. 

“Also I’m sorry about the time I dumped the fire retardant on you when I flew my Matoi helicopter. My Matoichopper, if you will.” Galo apologized about a lot of things, the list went on.

“I told you not to do it yet!” Aina shouted from her seat, where she sat next to Lucia who was cackling about the whole situation. “You still did it anyway!”

“I thought you said go!”

“I said _NO_.”

“Oh. Well sorry! Anyways, Rems, congrats for gettin' your doctor's degree.”

Remi’s covering his face and shaking his head. He was silently laughing.

“I’m engaged to this man.” Lio said, Meis wasn’t sure whether he was pleased about that information or genuinely regretting that. His face blank. Meis went with happy. 

“He’s so funny.” Lucia laughed. Vinny jumped on her head. “Do it again one of these days.”

“No.” Ignis refused. “Don’t do that again.” His daughter, Shea, sat next to him typing away on her phone and barely tuning into the speech. Marco laughed and Ray had a small smile on his face while the others snickered, he and Ray were there as well, Marco there really because Ignis begged him to come and Marco decided to invite his prodigy chef along.

Varys cheered him on when his speech was over, ending with how proud he was of Remi. He brought his girlfriend Tasha as a plus one. Remi wasn't allowed to bring Alisa though. The speeches were put to a break and to be continued later since there were complaints (mainly Galo) of being hungry. Whoever was in charge of the catering service had fish that tasted terrible, that Meis noticed when everyone took a bite out of it they spit it out into their plates while people weren’t looking. So they mainly stuck to the food Galo made, and Lio’s sweets. A lot of Remi’s classmates came to congratulate him as well and bombard him to talk, it’s clear he’s not used to this kind of attention. Ignis wanted to host it anyway because he’s proud of all of his kids he’s practically raised in the firehouse since they were rookies.

The arrangement was gift giving, speeches, a break to eat food, then have Meis play the piano. Ignis said he didn’t have to do it, though with how he was dodging and dancing around Gueira all afternoon he decided if he didn’t do something he was going to go insane. They only exchanged a few words on how they look well, and Meis being glad he could make it.

"Thanks. I told you I wouldn't miss it." Gueira averted his gaze to the bar, cocking his head. "Well! I'm gonna go get a drink, so uh, hope you enjoy yourself too." He said to him, averse. Meis wanted to say more, but he could only nod and clutch his glass tighter if he did more it'd break as Gueira wandered off to the bar.

"Yeah." Meis grumbled to himself, sipping away at his chardonnay. 

He couldn’t stand the awkwardness. So he had a few drinks being catered to them at the bar and he marched up on the stage and sat in front of the piano, maybe this would help clear his nerves. The others were hyping him up and wanting him to perform since they missed having him do little performances for them. Lio giving him a thumbs up from the seats. He took a deep breath, starting to play a **[song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bfMNzdhR7Q)**. His fingers drifting over each key in steady memorization.

“There is a song, from the wrong side of town, where I’m bound. To the ground, by the loneliest sound that pounds from within and is pinning me down.” The silence turned to a few whistles and cheers. One loud one particularly by Galo somewhere there, and he stared at Gueira sitting there and watching him. He calmed his breathing before he faltered. "Here is a page from the emptiest stage, a cage, or the heaviest cross ever made... a gauge of the deadliest trap ever made,"

_You belong here._

_You’re meant for this._

“And I thank you, for bringing me here. For showing me home, for singing these tears. Finally I found that I belong here.” 

He missed the cries that came from the audience at each pause he made to catch his breath, to recollect himself, not until he's finished he could reattach any clear emotion he was feeling at the moment.

“The heat, and the sickliest sweet smelling sheets, that cling to the backs of my knees, and my feet. Well I’m drowning in time… to a desperate beat.” He doesn’t want that idiot to fucking leave, and he’s selfish, but he had to let him go because of how much he truly loved him.

“...And I thank you, for bringing me here. For showing me home, for singing these tears. Finally I found that I… belong here.” His fingers started to tremble, but he kept going. He refused to stop, lifting his head for his lips to hover over the mic. 

He’s going to miss Gueira.

He always missed him.

He’s known him his whole life. Moisture welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill tears at any moment. He sings _from my first breath_ and belted the last word for as long as his throat could withstand, so that his feelings could reach him, from the bottom of his heart. How thankful he was. That they were here, that they were still alive, still breathing. Heart beating, with the blood that gave them life without the Promare, for a second chance.

The applause reaching his ears were deafening, tuning them out because he was concentrating on the melodic tune he created at the tips of his fingers. His silence when he finished the song.

 _“YEAH!”_ Lucia screeched, “ _FUCK IT UP SIS_!”

Meis snapped out of it at that, and it gave him whiplash. Chuckling. Varys and Galo followed along with her. Shouting encouraging words. He noticed how Gueira was clapping calmly compared to the others, practically raving. Even Shea had to put her phone down for the first time just to listen and she was clapping. 

“Thank you.” He said into the mic, leaving the stage. Ignis, the one hosting the gathering, had to even recollect himself from that performance. His friends wouldn’t stop bombarding him with compliments. Though he couldn’t bear to look Gueira directly in the eye.

“And now we will continue the remaining speeches before the party starts.” Ignis announced. Remi’s classmates are waiting patiently to go up and share their own.

Honestly, Meis wasn’t paying attention to the fifth one that went up when the applause started and Gueira shot up from his seat, walking over to the stage and taking the mic from Blake without him getting to leave the stage yet. The audience exchanged glances with each other, Meis and Lio did too, and Meis shrugged. Lio frowning. They all did their speeches, however, they didn’t think Gueira was planning to go up right this second. 

“Your speech done?” Gueira asked Blake, who gave him a rude stare as he walked off the stage. “Yeah that’s what I thought. Anyways, I drank like, three cocktails. Fuck it. I have something to tell you guys. Mostly Burning Rescue, I don’t care about the rest of you.” He said without much thought, some gasps of offense coming from Remi’s side of the room. Ignis looked around, giving smiles to assure that there’s a reason behind this. 

“Sophia isn’t real.” He confessed. “I don’t have a girlfriend who lives in Dallas. I lied.”

Aina, Galo, Lucia, all turn to Lio and start digging into their pockets and purses. Lio put a hand out, Meis watching them slap twenty dollar bills into his palm without him sparing them a single glance. 

“You bet—”

“—Yes.” Lio doesn’t look at Meis either, coaxing him to listen in to Gueira’s speech. “I think you should hear this.”

Burning Rescue betrayed him. Even Varys passed a twenty down for Galo to give to Lio and slip into his pocket. Shea took a twenty and a five from Ignis to pass down, and Meis sighed deeply.

“There’s no girlfriend. I met no one back in Miami. The truth is, I’ve been in a sorta semi long distance thing with someone sitting in this room right down there.” Gueira pointed directly at Meis. “His name’s Meis, and we’ve been dating for two years now. Since I’ve uh, been in the NFL. And I’m in love with him, and I’m gonna say it. I don’t fucking care. I literally don’t give a shit who knows, let the whole world know. We might live different lives but it’s not gonna stop me from wanting to be with you until I die, no matter what you say. I’m not afraid of how they see us former Burnish people.” He declared. “We’ve been tied together since the day we wrapped those Slim Jims around our fingers and you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.” Gueira took the mic off, tripping again as he walked down the stage. Ignis had to get up and leave his seat to help him up. 

“Thanks, captain.” He said, stumbling over to Meis and standing up straight. Meis was ready to sink into a hole in the ground that he begged to open itself up and suck him in completely. 

“Before I leave next season, I want you to marry me.” He requested boldly. He dug into his pocket, “See, with that NFL money you hate so much, I got me a nice ring at the store.” He took out the box and dropped it on the floor, dropping to his knees to pick it up. Meis’s eyes broaden. Gueira opened it. It’s pearl shaped topaz ring, cobalt, “I got it ‘cause the color reminds me of you and how Dallas looked.”

“ _SAY YES.”_ Galo shouted directly in his ear. Lio almost fell out of his chair. It’s pitch silent. Time’s still moving. A minute passed and Meis registered he’s waiting for an answer.

Meis nodded. “You fucking idiot.” He pulled Gueira to his feet by the collar, yanking him forward to kiss him, hard, until the tears in his eyes spill over his cheeks, and Gueira’s laughing and crying too. The whole party hall’s cheering for them.

“Oh shit.” Gueira lifted the microphone when he parted from his embrace with Meis, “Remi. I’m proud of you for graduatin’ college, and uh, I hope you cure Alisa’s alligator cancer one of these days. You deserve to be happy together.”

Remi made a wave of acknowledgement, since Gueira’s speech was a marriage proposal and he honestly forgot it was supposed to be for him, being a total afterthought. He’s smiling, though.

Varys took the microphone from Gueira. “Well then. Who’s ready to party double for the good news we just got today?!”

The party guests are in favor of it.

☆☆☆

Meis used to love airports, now he hated them since whenever he was here it was because he had to part with Gueira.

His now fiance. 

“Well.” Gueira’s got his luggages in front of him. “This is it, guys.”

Galo’s already tearing up, even though they went through goodbyes already just five minutes ago. “I’m gonna miss you so much, bro.”

“Don’t you start cryin’ on me again!” Gueira shouted, about to burst into tears any moment. Lio patted Galo’s shoulder, coaxing him to go forth. 

“Come hug me again brother!” They run at each other and get another long hug in. They’re all smiling at them bonding this much, probably the closest of friends out of everyone else. Except Remi, who stared at his watch.

“His flight is in like, five minutes.”

Lucia swatted him in the shoulder. “Can’t you see they’re havin’ a broment?” She’s still dressed in her lab coat, since most of them had to leave work just to see him off. Meis appreciated that they did. 

“A _what._ ”

“You wouldn’t get it.”

They pull apart, clapping each other on the back. 

“I’ll send you memes.” Galo whispered.

“Send me memes.”

“I love you bro.”

“I love you too.”

Gueira grabbed his bags, and he grinned at them. “Make sure y’all watch me on TV to see if I win.”

“You got it, kiddo.” Ignis promised. Varys reached to ruffle him on the head. 

“Go catch your flight!”

Gueira looked at Meis one last time, before turning around to walk away. They’re all looking at Meis and they’re about to make him start crying in this airport too. 

“So we should get going.” Meis motioned for everyone to start heading out. 

“Meis.” Lio glared at him. “I know one pat on the arm is not a proper goodbye and you do too.”

“Go say goodbye!” Aina encouraged, “Like, for real!”

“GO! Say one last goodbye and put your whole burning soul into it!” Galo pushed him forward. Meis glanced at them for reassurance but they’re now forcing him to start running after Gueira.

“Run bitch!” He heard Lucia holler when he turned his heel and booked it down the vast halls, until he got closer and closer to Gueira’s retreating frame.

“GUEIRA!” He screamed his name. Gueira got scared, head whipping around to see Meis rushing at him at a concerning speed.

"Meisies? _OOF_." The wind got knocked out of his lungs, Meis barreling right into him and tackling him to the ground. His bag dropped to the ground and his luggage sent knocking over.

The only way to say goodbye was to pretend like it was a WWE match, because he’s an emotional wreck right now and he couldn’t think properly other than wanting to spend one more minute with him. He kissed Gueira then and there, just like Galo advised, putting his whole burning soul into it. Uncaring of the massive swarm of onlooking people.

Gueira returned it, feeling his lips stretch into a smile and hugging him tightly.

“You know,” Gueira wheezed out, because Meis’s whole body weight was on top of him. “You could always visit me if you’re gonna miss me that much.”

Meis decided that maybe he was going to take him up on that offer. “I’ll think about it.” He said, “...But next time you come, you should come back to one of my performances. I’m thinking about reforming Dead Man's Hand again.”

“Knew you could do it.” Gueira wiped the tears staining his cheeks. Fresh tears spilling from his own eyes, gleaming. 

When Gueira left this time, Meis didn't feel a sense of dread, not this time. Gueira waving a hand, his ring could be seen flashing beautifully under the lights.

This wasn’t a goodbye.

Like he said: _catch you on the flipside._

He knew they were going to be okay. No matter how far apart they were, wherever they were.

Their story began, it doesn’t end here.

**Author's Note:**

> heres sum fun facts:
> 
> -so i wanted to find the perfect song to fit my hc that meis went burnish while performing in a concert...slept so long would be perfect. YES ITS QUEEN OF THE DAMNED. The entire soundtrack is just *chef's kiss*
> 
> -i did a lot of nfl research for this kjajksnjd am i satisfied? yes. im aware they only have like 8 away games and a few like "home" in this case its either promepolis/miami for gueira, so often the team has to travel a lot
> 
> -the press conference thing is actually real and i watched a video on it, one of them legit showed up in full hogwarts cosplay and some of these men look like they just woke up
> 
> -i know meis was in a visual kei band but rock band singer meis has been giving me brainrot and i realized i had to come up with a name for his old band so i went with dead man's hand??? ITS AN OLD WESTERN TERM, wild bill hickok got shot while holding a dead man's hand in poker. won my consideration over the other ones i had to vigorously search up. hes gotta have his country boy roots.
> 
> -baker lio is pretty neat.
> 
> -i figured ten years later i wanted everyone to move on and find closure for themselves!!! meaning they wont all be rlly working at BR anymore?? they kinda do have diff responsibilities and i wanted to explore a little of those wants, its just my personal hc!! it makes it feel like theyre all movin on while maintaing contact w/ each other.
> 
> -home by depeche mode was gueimeis core to me and my fav DM song lol 
> 
> -i slipped in some easter eggs from tongue tied, my au fic bc while this is post-canon verse i wanted to add the lore i have into the existing lore. raheem/ray is the burnish pizza delivery man, tasha is varys's gf, stephanos "slim" and benji are my ocs! shea is my oc for ignis's daughter, alisa is remi's gf, robbie's gueira's best friend and teammate, lastly changes for gueira's last name because everyone's last names are more greek-based, i like yeon for meis though, one exception.
> 
> das all folks. if you read this, thank you. ❤️ 
> 
> find me here:
> 
>  **[Tumblr](http://danganphobias.tumblr.com)** | **[Twitter](http://twitter.com/danganphobia)**


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